


Cat Sitting

by error404_happinessnotfound



Category: Monsta X (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Curses, Gen, Witch Curses, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-10-12 11:39:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 53,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17466881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/error404_happinessnotfound/pseuds/error404_happinessnotfound
Summary: "You know, that's not good for you," Taehyung said, pointing at the cat from the other side of the room because he was afraid of having his ankle bitten again.The cat flattened its ears and hissed."Or, you know. You do you."***in which Changkyun asks Taehyung to cat sit





	1. Chapter 1

"Feel free to whatever's in the fridge," Changkyun said, scratching at the nape of his neck. "Not sure what's in there, really. But have at it. Wonnie's food is in this cabinet," Changkyun said, opening one of the higher-up cabinets to demonstrate before closing it once more. "He can open the bottom ones," he added as an explanation, giving his cat a narrow look. "Bad kitty."

The cat hissed before whipping its tail around in the air agitatedly.

"If you eat too much, you'll get fat," Changkyun defended, his stern tone weakening as the cat rubbed against his leg, purring loudly. He turned to Taehyung, trying not to give in to the cat's need for constant attention. "You can put out food in the morning and then again at dinner. Be careful though, even if he eats it all, you can't just keep refilling it whenever. Let's see, what else..."

The cat mewled pitifully, and Changkyun sighed before bending down and picking him up, rubbing the spot between his ears absentmindedly. "His room is next to mine-"

"Your cat has his own room?" Taehyung asked, eyes wide. He hadn't even had his own room until he was fourteen.

"It's a small room," Changkyun said, raising his nose defensively. "Kitty likes his own space. Anyway, you can take over my room while I'm gone. You can put him in his room at night and shut the door. There's a litter box in there, so when you let him out in the morning, you'll have to clean that. Other than that..." Changkyun paused to think and stopped petting the cat, who meowed at him sharply. Changkyun mumbled an apology and kept petting before smiling at Taehyung. "That's about it. He's a little fussy, but he's a good boy. Just keep him fed and let him do his own thing. Oh, and I'd recommend wearing thick socks. He likes to bite at your ankles. And I left little notes as reminders just in case there's anything I forgot."

Taehyung just nodded, eyes slightly wide. Changkyun had always been more of a friend-of-a-friend. He'd never been inside his apartment before. In fact, he didn't even know that Changkyun had a cat. When Changkyun had first called him, he'd been under the impression that he'd be cat sitting (because that's exactly what Changkyun had told him he'd be doing), but now that he was here, it felt like he was babysitting a child. Taehyung didn't think he was qualified to babysit, period. Plants, no; pets, no; kids,  _definitely no..._

"I'm really sorry about this," Changkyun said, setting the cat down. It mewled for attention before winding around and between Changkyun's legs. "I hadn't planned on leaving, but it came up so suddenly and-"

"It's fine," Taehyung said, holding up a hand and smiling. He felt slightly dizzy from all the instructions, but in the end, it was just a cat. Cats were easier than dogs, anyway. Dogs had to be walked. That was too much effort for Taehyung at this point in his life. "I get it. I'm happy to help."

Changkyun gave a tensed, closed-lip smile before looking down at his cat. "I don't like leaving him alone," Changkyun admitted. "I'm not really comfortable leaving, but I thought with you here, maybe it would be okay. And it's just for two weeks," Changkyun rambled, trying to find some excuse good enough to justify his absence.

The cat meowed, the note long and plaintive. Tae could almost believe that the cat really didn't want Changkyun to go.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Changkyun responded, pouting at his furry little friend.

Taehyung couldn't help but smile. He'd only ever really seen the serious side of Changkyun. It was sort of cute seeing him talk to his cat.

"Call me for anything," Changkyun said, looking up and grabbing the handle of his suitcase. "I mean anything. If you forget where his food is or if his litter runs out or if-"

"We'll be fine," Taehyung assured, smiling as he walked Changkyun to the door. "Really. You have nothing to worry about."

Changkyun gave one last worried look towards his cat, who was tracking Changkyun with his eyes, sitting patiently on the kitchen floor as though expecting Changkyun to come scratch his ears again. His tail moved through the air slowly, curiously, waiting.

Changkyun walked out the door.

The cat meowed once, twice when Changkyun didn't answer his call.

Taehyung shut the door, flipping the locks as instructed before he turned to face the feline.

The cat stared at him as though disappointed with his presence as Changkyun's replacement.

"Look, -" Taehyung cut off suddenly before tilting his head back and sneezing loudly.

The cat darted out of the room, most likely startled by the loud noise, and Taehyung just sighed, his lips settling into a frown as he brushed the back of his hand against his nose.

Why did he have to be allergic to cats?


	2. Chapter 2

"No, I can't come play Overwatch today," Taehyung repeated, exasperated. He was currently bent over the couch trying to impress the idea into Jungkook's head that he was busy for the tenth time at least.

"Fine," Jungkook finally said. "Then I'm inviting Jin over and we're going to play Mario Kart without you."

"Oh, that's mature." Taehyung stuck out his tongue at the ceiling. The way he was arched over the couch was really starting to hurt his spine, but he was too stubborn to move.

"Well it's not my fault that Changkyun won't let you come out and play. I'm the one suffering here, really, if you think about it, so-"

"Shit," Taehyung said, shifting forward so he fell off the back of the couch, scrambling to keep some sense of balance. "I forgot to let the cat out," he muttered, Jungkook's words reminding him.

"Cat?"

"I'm watching his cat," Taehyung said as he jogged down the hallway. "Who is kind of a little bitch, by the way," he continued, slightly breathless as he came to a halt in front of the door. "I can feel it glaring at me."

"It?"

"Him," Taehyung corrected with a shrug, not that Jungkook would see it. "I'm pretty sure it hates me. He, sorry. He hates me."

"Just, I don't know, be nice to him. Pet him or something."

"That's all the advice you have? Pet him?"

"Sorry, Tae. I'm more of a dog person. Aren't you allergic to cats anyway?"

"A little bit. But my allergies haven't been acting up since yesterday, which is kind of weird." Taehyung sighed before turning his eyes back to the door. "Hang on, just give me a second to let out the-"

From the other end of the phone, Jungkook heard several noises in quick succession: first, the squeak of a door hinge; second, a hiss; and third, a small yowl of pain from none other than his best friend.

Tae came back on the phone a few seconds later. "Damn cat bit me!"

Jungkook's laugh infuriated Tae.

"Shut up!" he yelled, flushing red. "I'm pretty sure there's puncture marks on my ankle."

"Aw, poor you," Jungkook said with a laugh before cutting off for a second and returning. "Sorry, Jin's here and Mario Kart calls. Talk to you later," he finished before hanging up.

Taehyung sighed, sliding his phone into his pocket just as loud meows were sounding from the kitchen.

_Shit, I forgot to add more food._

He walked to the kitchen, each step cautiously (his ankle still throbbed). When he got there, he saw the cat sitting expectantly in front of the empty food bowl, fur bristling.

"I know, I know," Taehyung said, skirting around the cat, careful not to get within biting or clawing distance. "Just give me a second." He reached into the cabinet Changkyun had pointed out to him to find premium cat food. He gave a soft whistle. "It looks like he buys the expensive stuff."

The cat meowed again, growing impatient.

"Yeah, yeah," Taehyung said, grabbing a pair of scissors from the drawer next to the fridge and opening the bag. He hesitated before taking a quick step toward the food bowl and dumping the whole thing in.

 _Whoops,_  Taehyung thought as he quickly stepped back.  _Is that too much? It's probably fine..._

The cat seemed satisfied, and that was all Taehyung really cared about at this point. He was loud, for one, and Taehyung was completely convinced that the cat would attempt to murder him in his sleep. He needed to make a note to keep him in his room at night, door firmly closed.

_Better get the litter box before I forget that too..._

Taehyung left both kitchen and cat to clean the litter box, and he returned to find the cat curled up in the armchair, tail wrapped around himself. Taehyung sighed in relief before entering the room, still as cautious as before.  _Maybe if I talk to him like Changkyun does, then he'll like me?_  "You want to watch some TV, huh?" Taehyung asked.

The cat stared at him.

Taehyung felt stupid. He smiled tensely at the cat before searching for the remote and finding it in a small slide-out drawer in the coffee table. Stuck to the remote was a yellow sticky note.

_Wonnie's favorite channels:_

_-CBS*_

_-iON_

_-GSN_

The note was clearly in Changkyun's handwriting, as Taehyung had found several other sticky notes thus far informing him where extra kitty litter was in case he ran out and one on the bedside table letting Taehyung know that if the cat was being loud at night, he could (on occasion) sleep in the master bedroom.

Taehyung understood the others, but this?

He hesitated before pulling his phone back out of his pocket and selected Changkyun's contact.

He picked up on the second ring. "Hello? Taehyung? Is everything all right?"

"Uh, yeah, everything's fine," Taehyung said, only just starting to feel bad about disturbing Changkyun. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything, I just-"

"No worries," Changkyun replied easily. "Did you have a question about something?"

"Yeah," Taehyung said, eyes dropping back down to the sticky note in question before looking over at the cat, who had sat up and perked his ears, watching Tae with interest. "I was going to turn on the TV, and I found a note about favorite channels?"

"Oh, that," Changkyun replied with a chuckle. "Yes, Wonnie like to watch crime TV, mainly. You know, cop dramas. NCIS, Criminal Minds, that sort of thing. And Game Show Network. But his favorite is CSI Miami. Wonnie's got a little bit of a crush on Horatio Caine, I think." Another small chuckle.

The cat, as though he'd heard that, meowed, shrinking slightly and flicking his ears before padding around in a circle on the armchair and curling back up into a ball.

"Let me know if you can't find the channels," Changkyun continued. "There shouldn't be that many since I don't really watch TV, I just got the ones that he likes."

"Oh, all right," Taehyung said as though their entire conversation had been perfectly normal. "Uh, thanks, Changkyun. Sorry about calling."

"All good. Let me know if there's anything else."

"Will do."

Taehyung set down the phone on the coffee table he'd found the remote in and turned to give the cat a side glance. Then, slowly, he turned the TV on and scanned the channels until he found what he was looking for.

Sure enough, when Horatio Caine's face came on screen, the cat unfurled himself, sitting up tall in the armchair, his tail whipping back and forth in the air.

This was normal?


	3. Chapter 3

Taehyung decided, against his better judgement, that it was time to try Jungkook's advice.

(It's important for us to note that taking Jungkook's advice has never gone well for Taehyung in the past, nor is there reason for us to expect it to work in the present situation, but Taehyung is desperate, and desperate men take the advice of Jeon Jungkook.)

For the past few days, Taehyung had been doing everything per the letter - closing the cat in his bedroom at night, letting him out in the morning, setting out food in the morning and in the evening, cleaning the litter box. Even turning the TV on to the cat's favorite shows. (He'd tried to turn on the Hallmark channel once to watch the new Lifetime movie that had come out, but the cat had protested loudly.)

He was doing everything he was supposed to.

So why did the cat still hate him?

_Just, I don't know, be nice to him. Pet him or something._

Jungkook's words came into his head on the morning of his fourth day.

Had Taehyung actually tried petting the cat? Hell no, not after it had sunk its teeth into his ankle. (Had that incident been indirectly Taehyung's fault for forgetting to let the cat out in the morning? Perhaps.) But maybe it was time to try again. After all, if he could just get this stupid cat to like him, the job would be a lot easier.

Taehyung reached into the food cupboard and got out a bag of fancy cat treats. (He swore, the cat ate better than he did.) Just as he opened the bag, the cat padded into the kitchen, stopping when it saw what Taehyung was holding and watching the treat with hungry eyes.

Taehyung kept the treat in his hand as he slowly slid the bag back into the cupboard. Then, he bent down, crouching with his knees bench, and held the treat out in his open palm. "Here, kitty kitty," he tried, copying what little he knew of cats from TV.

The cat gave him a look before inching closer. Soon, he was sniffing at Taehyung's palm. Taehyung, meanwhile, held his breath, knowing that if his allergies chose this moment to act up, he'd scare (and more likely, piss of) the cat for good.

After a moment of cautious sniffing, a pink tongue darted out of the cat's mouth as he licked at the treat before delicately picking it up with his tiny triangular teeth. Taehyung exhaled slowly, watching as the cat crunched away, before bringing his hand down inch by inch until it met the top of the cat's head.

The cat immediately flinched, pausing his eating momentarily, and Taehyung set his hand down slowly, careful not to surprise the cat this time. The cat let him rest his hand on his head, and after Taehyung was confident that he would not be immediately bitten, he copied the motions he'd seen Changkyun do and rubbed the soft patch of fur between the cat's ears.

The cat twitched as though startled before something strange happened. There was a low noise, sort of like the grumbling of a well-oiled engine, and Taehyung felt faint vibrations ripple through the cat.

_Was he...purring?_

Taehyung, scared to screw it up, moved slowly, bringing his other hand to join the first as he pet the cat, smoothing over his ears and scratching under his chin when he raised his head. The fur was velvety and soft underneath his fingertips, and when he came across a small knot in the fur, he picked at it carefully, untangling as he went. Taehyung was even starting to enjoy the activity when he felt a small twitch in his nose and-

"Achoo!"

Taehyung's eyes shut with his sneeze, and when he opened his eyes, the cat was gone.

He wondered if the cat hated him now, and he was surprised when he found himself hoping otherwise. He'd never had a cat before and, like Jungkook, had always thought of himself more as a dog person, but...

There was something about Changkyun's cat that he was starting to like. Despite its passive aggressive personality, the cat was curious and seemed almost human at times. When interacting with Changkyun, the cat had been overly needy, demanding physical contact and affection.

Taehyung wondered if the cat would warm up to him as well?


	4. Chapter 4

Days passed as Taehyung grew more comfortable with the cat. Changkyun called every few days to check in, and the cat would sit still, ears perked forward as though straining to hear his owner's voice.

"He'll be home soon," Taehyung reassured after hanging up, a small frown on his face. It had been a week and a half, and while the cat had seemed to warm up to Taehyung (at least reasonably so), he grew more plaintive over time, sometimes meowing late at night for no reason.

Taehyung thought he might be lonely.

So he gave the cat more treats, turned the TV on to his favorite channels, even played little games with the cats as though these things could fill the whole in the cat's heart. Taehyung felt almost guilty for doing it, as though he were trying to trick the cat out of missing Changkyun.

Still, he hoped it was working.

***

"You know, that's not good for you," Taehyung said, pointing at the cat from the other side of the room because he was afraid of having his ankle bitten again.

Just when he'd thought he'd made friends with the cat, the cat had grown even more temperamental than usual, nipping at his ankles and running away when Taehyung turned around.

Currently, the cat was trying to crawl underneath the armchair. Taehyung was worried that if that cat successfully made it under, he'd forget the cat was there and go to sit down and crush the poor thing.

Of course, the cat didn't care about what Taehyung thought. The cat flattened its ears and hissed.

"Or, you know," Taehyung said, instinctively feeling a little threatened even though the teeth were smaller than his fingernail. "You do you."

The cat turned back to the armchair and wormed its way under, somehow.

***

Changkyun called on the thirteenth night.

"Everything's fine," Taehyung said immediately as he picked up. "He misses you a lot. I'm sure he'll be excited that you-"

"I'm sorry," Changkyun broke in, his words deep and slow. "Something...came up. I can't make it back for a while longer."

"Oh..."

"Are you still able to watch him?" Changkyun asked, sounding nervous. "I mean, I'd hate to find someone else now that he's used to you, but-"

"I can stay," Taehyung interrupted. He was driven by some eagerness he hadn't known that he'd possessed. Maybe he was really starting to like the cat, passive aggressive as it was. "For how much longer, do you think?"

"Hard to say," Changkyun said from the other end, followed by a heavy sigh. "I'd really hoped that this would be quick to wrap up, but there have been some...complications. It's too important for me to just quit now, though."

"I understand," Taehyung said, nodding even though Changkyun couldn't see him. "I don't mind staying, really."

Just then, the cat padded into the kitchen, ears twitching as he watched Taehyung talk on the phone. Taehyung met the cat's eyes before looking away guiltily.

"Just, try to make it fast," Taehyung said quietly, as though he didn't want the cat to overhear their conversation. "He wants you to come home."

"I know, tell him I'm sorry," Changkyun said, and Taehyung could hear the true sorrow in his voice. There was a noise in the background, and Changkyun came back on the line, his voice soft and urgent. "I'm sorry, I have to go. Thank you, Taehyung." He hung up quickly.

Taehyung's mouth was left hanging open, questions floating on his tongue that would remain unanswered. He set the phone on the counter before turning to face the cat. He wondered if the cat could sense that Changkyun wouldn't be coming home just yet, if the cat could feel any degree of sadness over it.

"You can sleep in my room tonight," Taehyung decided instead of delivering the bad news. The cat just got up and rubbed its head against Taehyung's leg.

Taehyung picked him up gently - the cat was declawed, as he'd figured out rather quickly, but he didn't want to hurt him - and carried the cat into his (Changkyun's) room, setting him down on the other side of the bed. Taehyung, remembering that animals often had better senses than humans, rummaged through Changkyun's drawers before finding one of Changkyun's extra large shirts.

"Here," Taehyung said, draping the shirt over the cat to make the cat sense a bit of Changkyun's presence. Then he got back up, hurriedly opening the door to the other room and rushing back in. The cat was where he'd left him, still curled up in Changkyun's t-shirt. "I opened the other door so you can get to the litter box if you need to," Taehyung said. Not that the cat would know what he was saying, but he'd gotten used to talking to the cat as though he'd understand.

"Night," he said after a moment, staring at the cat a while longer before shutting off the light and laying down.

***

Taehyung woke up in the early morning, feeling that something was amiss, and when he looked to the other side of the bed, his eyes were met with brown ones.

Human eyes.

Taehyung made a sound and sat up straight, yanking the blankets up to keep himself fully covered, as he took in the sight of a male who looked to be about his age stretched across the other side of the bed.

"Good morning," the man said, his voice deep and a bit rough, before stretching his body as far as it would go and subsequently curling back up. "Taehyung, is it?"


	5. Chapter 5

Taehyung's mouth was hanging open. He couldn't speak, too shocked to say anything.

The male in front of him looked to be about his age, but he was...

Perfection. That was the only word Taehyung could think of to describe him.

The male - "boy" seemed too young, and "man" too old - was wearing only a t-shirt that came down to his mid-thigh, but even so, Taehyung could make out a body crafted of toned muscles. He looked agile but languid at the same time, as though he could perform physical activities with little problem but couldn't be bothered to attempt them.

Besides the t-shirt, the male had a thin black collar around his throat, a small silver heart dangling off it. His face, like his body, seemed perfectly sculpted - high, accented cheekbones; narrow eyes full of quick intelligence; flowing hair that looked soft to the touch.

"Who- what-"

The male flicked his head, and the silver heart bounced once against his throat. Taehyung's eyes dipped to it, reading the engraved text.

**_Hyungwon_ **

"Why are you here?" Taehyung asked, his heart still beating furiously in his rib cage.

"I live here," the male answered simply.

"Does Changkyun know that?"

The male nodded, watching Taehyung closely with amused eyes.

"Well, he never mentioned it to me," Taehyung said sharply, still feeling faintly threatened. Who was this guy, anyway? Showing up half naked in Changkyun's bedroom?

Taehyung flushed at the implication. "H-He's not here right now, you know, so, um-"

"I'm not his consort," the male said with a small snort. "We're not like that."

"I-"

"I'm hungry," the male said, rolling over and sliding smoothly off the bed. Now that he was standing, Taehyung could see that he was actually rather tall. He arched his back before shaking it out and going over to the drawers, picking out a pair of Changkyun's boxers. Taehyung quickly looked away as he slid them on and left the room, likely proceeding to the kitchen.

Taehyung scrambled out of bed, following him. He watched as the male rummaged throughout the entire kitchen before grabbing a carton of ice cream out of the freezer and a spoon on his way to the living room.

"You can't have that for breakfast," Taehyung said, immediately tensing as the male met his eyes with a powerful gaze. They held eye contact for a second before the male walked past Taehyung, ice cream in tow, and settled into the armchair, curling up with his knees bent beneath him. Taehyung, afraid to let the male out of his sight, hurried into the living room. He wanted to contact Changkyun, but he'd sounded busy last time they'd talked. Taehyung didn't want to interrupt his important work, whatever it was.

For now, he'd just try to keep an eye on the intruder (if he was one at all).

The male took a spoonful of ice cream and stared at it for a few moments before licking repeatedly at the spoon instead of shoving it in his mouth. Then he played with the remote for a few seconds, switching the channel.

Taehyung looked over at the TV to find CSI Miami on, and he looked back at the male, surprised at the coincidence.

It was then that he looked more closely at the shirt the male was wearing.

Slowly, slowly, Taehyung reached into the coffee table drawer and pulled out the familiar yellow sticky note he'd left behind.

**_Wonnie's favorite channels:_ **

**_-CBS*_ **

**_-iON_ **

**_-GSN_ **

Taehyung stared at the note before looking back at the male. Then he looked back at the note once more to make sure.

**_Wonnie_ **

Wonnie, short for...

**_Hyungwon?_ **

"Wonnie?" Taehyung asked weakly, and the male looked over at him, surprised.

"Only Kyun calls me that," the male replied, tilting his head as though mystified. "How did you-" He cut off abruptly and turned his head to look at the TV, enraptured, ice cream forgotten, just as Horatio Caine looked at the camera and announced, "Blunt force trauma."

"You're..." Taehyung began, unable to fit the words into a logical sentence because logic had clearly been abandoned. "You're...kitty?"

The male looked back over at him, tilting his head, and Taehyung could imagine a pair of invisible ears flicking as he processed. "Well, I'd prefer it if you called me Hyungwon."


	6. Chapter 6

"Is Kyun coming home today?" the male - cat - Hyungwon asked, looking up while licking at the spoon.

Now that Taehyung had connected him to the cat he'd been watching over for the past two weeks, he couldn't view him without thinking of the cat. The way he was sitting, curled up in the chair instead of with his legs out. The way he was eating his ice cream, taking dozens of tiny licks at the spoon. The way his head was tilted as he watched Taehyung just as he always had. "You were...a cat...and now..."

"He said he would only be gone for fourteen days," Hyungwon continued, licking at his lips before setting down the ice cream and kneading the back of his left wrist against his head as though rubbing at a cat's ear. "He promised."

"He's busy..." Taehyung mumbled, transfixed and unable to process the situation.

Hyungwon pouted, leaning down so his spine was curved inward as he rested his head on his hands, which he had draped over the arm of the chair. "When is he coming home?"

Taehyung could imagine a fluffy tail whipping anxiously through the air, and he shook his head to dispel the illusion. "He's, uh, he didn't...say..."

Hyungwon gave a long sigh, and Taehyung could almost hear the familiar meow. "That's not fair. Kyunnie  ** _promised_**."

"He said it was important," Taehyung defended weakly. He didn't know whose side to be on. He still didn't know what the hell was happening. "You're...what are you?"

"I'm human," Hyungwon said rolling his head to the right lazily. "And then sometimes I'm not."

"How? Why?"

" ** _Amavasya_** ," Hyungwon said, sighing once more and sinking down even lower in the chair. Taehyung honestly didn't understand how he could even fit in the chair, given his height. "It's Sanskrit for  ** _no moon day_**. When evil spirits are stronger." Hyungwon lifted his eyes to meet Taehyung's. "That's when I become human again, for a short time."

"And when the moon comes back?" Taehyung asked, not sure if he believed anything but rolling with it for the time being.

"Then so do I," Hyungwon said softly. "Back to being a cat. But that's okay, because I like being a cat. I don't have to do anything, and Kyunnie spoils me. It's perfect."

Taehyung looked down to Hyungwon's hands and couldn't restrain a sharp gasp. Where the rest of Hyungwon appeared to be perfect, his hands were a testament to horror. Each of his fingernails were missing.

Hyungwon followed his gaze down and sighed, sitting up as though agitated before hiding his hands from Taehyung's view within the folds of Changkyun's shirt.

"What happened?" Taehyung asked softly. Whether he believed Hyungwon or not, it looked horribly painful, and nobody deserved that.

"I wasn't always with Changkyun," Hyungwon said, looking away and tensing his back so his shoulder blades stood out. "The other ones, they didn't want a cat with claws."

"But Changkyun takes good care of you," Taehyung said, trying to calm Hyungwon down, and it seemed to work as Hyungwon settled back down in the chair.

"He does," Hyungwon said. "He lets me watch the shows I want to watch," he said sharply as though expecting Taehyung to argue with him. "And he gets me the good food, and he gives me treats, and..." Hyungwon tilted his head down so his collar appeared in his peripheral vision. "And he gave me this."

"It's very nice," Taehyung offered.

"It means that I'm his," Hyungwon said, flicking the silver hard so it spun in the light. "So other people don't take me."

Taehyung wondered what had happened to Hyungwon before Changkyun had found him. "How...how did this happen? Were you a cat, or were you a human first?"

"Human," Hyungwon said, still distracted by the shiny tag. "Witches happened. A long time ago."

Taehyung hesitated, unsure which questions were invasive and which were welcome. "How old are you?"

Hyungwon shrugged. "I don't remember."

"What do you mean?"

"It's different for me," Hyungwon said, still looking down, his eyes slightly unfocused. "There is only one  ** _Amavasya_** each month. That's twelve in a year. I'm only human for twelve days a year." He looked up at Taehyung with slightly droopy eyes as though he were already tired. "You're human for 365 days a year. For me to grow a year older, thirty years have to pass."

Taehyung's eyes widened. "How long have you been...like this?"

Hyungwon shrugged again, looking away and seemingly bored with the conversation. "A long time. You can ask Kyunnie. He knows all the answers."

"But I thought he didn't meet you until later," Taehyung said, frowning slightly as he tried to fit all the new pieces of information together. He really needed to call Changkyun, and soon.

"That was the second time. The first time was that night," Hyungwon said, yawning and blinking heavily. "Changkyun was one of the witches that was there."


	7. Chapter 7

"A...witch?"

Hyungwon ignored Taehyung's question, having answered enough at this point, and dragged himself off the armchair. "It's nap time," he said with a yawn, not bothering to stifle it before giving his body a small shake. He headed over to Changkyun's room, stepping lightly on the balls of his feet, and Taehyung waited until he was out of sight before picking up his phone.

"Changkyun?"

"Taehyung, I'm sorry, now isn't really a good-"

"Your cat turned into a human," Taehyung blurted out.

There was silence on the other end of the phone accompanied by a quiet curse. "Sorry, Taehyung, I was supposed to be back in time. My b."

"He said you're a witch," Taehyung stated, listening closely for Changkyun to dispute the fact as ridiculous.

Instead, all he got was a sigh. "He doesn't really have a filter. I guess that's also my fault, he hasn't been around other humans in a long time."

"He said witches did this," Taehyung continued, desperate for answers. "He said you were there. Did you...were you the one who cursed him?"

Another sigh, less exasperated and more self-loathing. "No. But I didn't stop it." Changkyun's voice got smaller as though he were cradling the phone close to his face. "I didn't know what happened to him after. Or more likely, at that point, I probably didn't care much. Humans were no friends to me. But I found him wandering the streets years later as a cat, and I sensed a strange energy about him, so I took him in as a familiar. It wasn't until later that I realized...who he was. What he was a product of."

"Someone declawed him," Taehyung recounted, shuddering as he recalled the image of Hyungwon's nail beds.

"Yes," Changkyun said, agreeing sadly, and if Taehyung wasn't imagining it, there was anger underneath his words. "He was taken in by a family, and they had kids, so...They thought he was just a cat. They didn't know." Changkyun sounded like he didn't want to fault them for it, but Taehyung could tell by the tension in his voice that it was a battle he'd been fighting against himself for many years.

"So...you just took him in? And now what? He said he ages really slowly. What is he supposed to do for the rest of his life?"

"I'm working on that," Changkyun said, sounding annoyed, although Taehyung couldn't tell who he was annoyed at. "But in the meantime, I just take care of him. Make sure he's comfortable. And sometimes, he helps me with magic. He was cursed, technically, so he's got a source of magic on his own. Like a well I can tap into. When I need a little boost with my own magic, I can sort of...siphon from his, I guess. Or use him as an amplifier."

"So...you're really a witch then?" Taehyung asked, setting his free hand down so it wouldn't shake in the air.

"Guilty as charged," Changkyun said, but there was no humor in his voice. "Is Wonnie there? Is he upset with me? Can I talk to him?"

"He went to take a nap," Taehyung said, looking over at the occupied bedroom.

"Can you have him call me later?" Changkyun asked, sounding...well, almost as needy as Hyungwon. But Taehyung guessed that when two people had spent such a long time together with only each other for company, that created bonds that stretched across distances.

"When he wakes up, yeah," Taehyung said. "Sorry about interrupting you."

"It's fine, I just-" Changkyun cut off for a second before his voice came on again, rushed and soft. "Tell him to call me."

He hung up.

Taehyung sighed, setting down the phone.

He knew he never should have taken this job.


	8. Chapter 8

Taehyung went into the bedroom an hour later to wake Hyungwon. He didn't understand; Hyungwon only got one day a month to be human, and he chose to spend it sleeping?

He found Hyungwon curled up in a ball and still wearing Changkyun's shirt.

"Wake up," Taehyung said but got no response. "Hyungwon, please wake up."

One eye opened and blinked at him before shutting.

Taehyung sighed, walking over to the other side of the bed and hesitating. After a moment, he rested a hand on Hyungwon's head and threaded his fingers through Hyungwon's hair. His earlier assumption had been correct; it was soft, as soft as a cat's fur.

Hyungwon reacted after a moment, blinking heavily and slowly uncurling before arching his back. Taehyung was starting to believe that he was more cat than human by this point, and he honestly wasn't sure how to treat the other.

"What is it?" Hyungwon asked, rolling over onto his side to look at Taehyung.

"Well, uh, nothing, but...don't you want to do something? As a human?"

Hyungwon blinked with mild confusion accompanied by vague curiosity. "I already had ice cream. That's really the only thing I can't do as a cat."

"Oh, well..." Taehyung fumbled for something to say. After all, Hyungwon only got to be human once a month. This was likely the first and last time Taehyung would ever see him. "Don't you want to go outside or something?"

Hyungwon frowned at Taehyung, sitting up with his legs drawn in, arms hanging between them. "I'm not allowed outside."

"Why not?" Taehyung asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Because Changkyun said so," Hyungwon replied, curling his toes and fingers inward. "He said it's not safe."

"Because someone could take you?" Taehyung filled in, and Hyungwon nodded. "But I'll be with you this time," Taehyung said. "I'll keep you safe. No one can take you if you're with me." Taehyung paused, biting his lip. He wasn't sure why he wanted to convince Hyungwon to leave so much, but he pressed onward. "When was the last time you got to go outside?"

Hyungwon's frown remained etched on his face as he turned his head toward the wall. "I can't remember." He looked back at Taehyung quickly, defensiveness in his eyes, and if he'd been in cat form, Taehyung was sure his fur would be rising and sticking out to respond to what he viewed as a threat. "I'm happy here," Hyungwon asserted before amending, "I'm safe here."

"I promise to you," Taehyung said, one hand on his heart for emphasis. It just felt right. There was something innately pure about Hyungwon that compelled Taehyung to be absolutely genuine and sincere in his actions. "I'll keep you safe. I'll make sure you come home."

Hyungwon's dark eyes scanned Taehyung's, Taehyung freezing up as he felt his sincerity being assessed, before slouching, his shoulders rising while his head dropped. "But Changkyun said-"

"He won't know if we don't tell him," Taehyung said, a small smile alighting on his face, and Hyungwon looked up quickly, eyes brighter than they'd been all morning.

"I...I want to go outside," Hyungwon admitted after a moment, his face dusted with a light spattering of pink as he quickly looked away.

"Great," Taehyung said, flushing with pride at achieving his goal. "But first..."

"What?" Hyungwon asked, looking over at Taehyung and tilting his head in a purely feline way.

"You need to put some actual clothes on."

***

For the first few minutes, Hyungwon had sank down, sticking close to Taehyung's side and trying to make himself as small as possible as though attempting to hide from the sun. After a while, though, he slowly straightened out his spine, coming out several inches taller than Taehyung himself, although he didn't leave Taehyung's side. He kept one hand on Taehyung's shirt, fingers tightly fisted in the fabric, and he was walking so closely to Taehyung that he'd almost tripped the other several times.

"Relax," Taehyung finally said, ruffling the other's hair. "I'm not going to let you get separated from me."

Hyungwon's lips twitched, but he didn't release his grip on Taehyung, nor did he stop from constantly scanning the crowd, left to right and back again. "There are so many people...When did they all get here?"

Taehyung laughed, sliding his hand from Hyungwon's head to around his far shoulder. "They've been here for a while. The city's grown over the past hundred years or so. A lot has changed and is still changing."

Hyungwon turned his head, resting it on Taehyung's shoulder so his nose brushed against Taehyung's neck. "There's too much going on. It hurts my eyes."

Taehyung moved his hand back to Hyungwon's head, placing it behind Hyungwon's neck as he attempted to comfort the other. "I'll take you someplace quieter. Just hang in there a little longer, okay," Taehyung said, ignoring some of the strange looks he was receiving as he steered Hyungwon over to a side street.

"Okay, we're here," Taehyung announced, and Hyungwon slowly pulled his head out from Taehyung's neck to find himself in a park. There were benches scattered throughout the area, and several couples were walking along the paths, although no one was in the close vicinity. "I thought you'd like it here. It's not as busy as the downtown area, and it's nice and quiet."

"It's pretty," Hyungwon said after a moment, his eyes catching on the flowering trees. "Do you come here a lot, Taehyung?"

"Just when I need to think," Taehyung replied, smiling shyly. The park was his special place, his alone place for when he needed to get away from other people. He cared deeply for his friends, but sometimes they were too much. Too loud. He needed a place like this to balance it all out so he could hear his own thoughts. "Do you like it?"

Hyungwon nodded, his head dipping forward. "I think Changkyun would like it too."

Taehyung scanned Hyungwon's face for any signs of bitterness or hatred. Changkyun had been there when Hyungwon had been cursed, however long ago that had been, and yet Hyungwon was able to talk about him with such a bright look in his eyes. "Changkyun is a good friend to you, isn't he?"

Hyungwon nodded, eyes following a butterfly as it lazily made its way through the air. "He's all I have."

"Hey," Taehyung said, pinching Hyungwon's side lightly and delighting in the slight yelp Hyungwon emitted. "You have me too, you know."

"You're just here because Changkyun is paying you," Hyungwon said, looking away for a moment as his grip on Taehyung's shirt weakened. "Then when he comes home, he'll give you your money, and you'll leave."

"I..." Taehyung hesitated. He couldn't deny that he'd originally granted Changkyun's request because he'd needed some quick cash, but a lot had changed in the past two weeks. "Maybe that's what I thought at first, but I feel like I know you now, Hyungwon."

Hyungwon looked over at Taehyung with desolate eyes. "Just what do you know about me, Taehyung?"

Taehyung found himself caught off guard by the direct question, but he responded a moment later. "Well, you like crime TV and Game Show Network. You've got a crush on Horatio Caine-"

"He pulls off sunglasses okay," Hyungwon muttered, kicking at the ground.

"You like taking naps-"

"Those are all just things Changkyun told you," Hyungwon interrupted.

Taehyung hesitated before setting his hand on top of Hyungwon's head. "I know that you care a lot about your friend, that you worry about him and wait for him to come home because you miss him. I just want you to care about me too, to worry about me and wait for me and miss me. Just a little. Is that okay?"

Hyungwon pouted, his lips sticking out, but his grip on Taehyung's shirt strengthened, his fingers tightening as though the thought of being separated from Taehyung scared him. "I guess so."

"Good boy," Taehyung cheered, tousling his hair. "Now, what does kitty want to do?"

"Take a nap in the sun," Hyungwon immediately replied, and Taehyung laughed before directing Hyungwon over to a patch of grass.

"Go on, lay down. I'll wake you up in a little while."

Hyungwon sat down, pulling Taehyung down with him before he looked over at the other with a question in his eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't leave you," Taehyung added, and Hyungwon nodded before laying down on his side and curling in toward Taehyung.

Taehyung just kept his hand resting in Hyungwon's hair, sifting through it lightly as a gentle breeze swept through the park.


	9. Chapter 9

They got back to Changkyun's apartment, and while Hyungwon headed into the kitchen, Taehyung pulled out his phone to find 14 missed calls.

 _Shit_ , he thought, wincing as he scrolled to see that they were all from Changkyun. He hesitated a moment before pressing the  _call back_  option, and the phone hadn't even stopped the first ring before it was picked up.

"Taehyung? Are you in any danger? Is Hyungwon okay?" Changkyun asked breathlessly, and Taehyung frowned, a finger on his chin.

"We're fine, Changkyun. Is something wrong? I'm sorry I didn't see your calls, I didn't have my phone out and-"

"I got an alert that the barrier had been breached," Changkyun said, his voice sounding tense over the phone.

"Barrier?"

"The apartment is protected by a magical barrier," Changkyun explained quickly. "It's supposed to keep out unwanted presences and cloak the magical presence within. It was breached by something today. Have you seen anything? It could even be something small, a mouse or something like that."

Taehyung scanned his memory to see if a mouse or other small animal had shown up recently, but he came up with nothing. "I don't think so, Changkyun. Nothing got in, as far as I can tell." He paused, tilting his head somewhat as his mouth fell open in an  _o_  of revelation. "But we  _did_  go outside earlier. Could that have set it off?"

Changkyun was silent for a long moment before he spoke again, his voice rough and low. " _We_? You took Hyungwon outside?"

Taehyung frowned, running a hand through his hair as he leaned back against the arm of the couch. "Yeah, I thought it would be nice for him to take a walk and get some fresh air. Why? Is that a problem?"

"Of course it's a problem!" Changkyun yelled back, and Taehyung shrank down. He'd never heard Changkyun yell before or even raise his voice, and it was rather scary.

"Well you can't just keep him caged in an apartment for the rest of his extremely long life," Taehyung argued back, trying not to pout at having been scolded over the phone.

"You don't understand," Changkyun said, making a noticeable effort to try to not yell at Taehyung again. "You think that I'm being overprotective or domineering or whatever, but it's for a reason. I told you. The barrier around the apartment hides magical presence. Not just mine, Taehyung. Hyungwon's too. It's like..." He sighed. "It's like we all have a unique magical ID, okay? And it's not safe to just go flashing your ID around because then bad people could come after you, like if you go around waving money in the air."

"Okay?" Taehyung said, still not quite understanding Changkyun's problem. "But you're gone, right? So aren't you just...'flashing your ID around' wherever you are?"

"I'm a witch," Changkyun said with a hint of annoyance in his tone. "There are things I can do to mask my presence. But Hyungwon isn't a witch. He can't conduct magic on his own. He's just a source that me or witches like me can tap into. Which is why it's a problem if you let him wander around outside-"

"He was with me the whole time," Taehyung defended.

"It doesn't matter! Any witches within a 50 kilometer radius will have sensed a magical presence suddenly appear, and if they've got nothing better to do - and trust me, Taehyung, they rarely do - they're going to chase after it."

"But why?" Taehyung asked, frowning as he sank further into the couch. "I mean, you said yourself, Hyungwon can't do magic."

"Witches are always looking for new conduits. It's a lot easier to cast bigger spells if you have an alternative source of magic to amplify your own rather than try to draw it all from yourself. Hyungwon can't conduct magic, but he has an extremely large reserve of magic that a witch could draw from, Taehyung. It's part of the curse he was given, as it was forged by multiple witches, and it's only grown over time. He's likely one of the most powerful familiars currently in existence, in terms of magic capacity." Changkyun's voice got quiet. "Not all witches are like me, Taehyung. I just want to protect Hyungwon. Sometimes, yes, I require Hyungwon's help with my magic, but I treat him well. He has complete freedom, as long as he doesn't leave the apartment. He eats well, and he has his owns wants and needs that I do my best to provide for. But not all witches are like that, Taehyung. Many of them don't treat their familiars well at all."

Taehyung bit his lip, his nails digging into his other arm. "What do you mean?"

"Some witches treat them like slaves, or worse," Changkyun said bitterly. "They keep them restrained so they can't escape, or they keep them sedated, in a state of perpetual unconsciousness. Some witches don't keep their limits in mind and they take and take and take from their magic supply until there's nothing left, not giving them time to replenish."

"What happens then?" Taehyung asked, feeling goosebumps rise up on his arms, and he rubbed at them frantically.

"A familiar or other magical conduit has a reserve of magic that can be accessed by a magic user," Changkyun explained slowly. "And if some magic is taken out, if the conduit is left alone, the magic will grow back. Like regeneration. But if you don't allow the conduit time to regenerate the magic supply...if you drain a conduit of all their magic...they die, Taehyung. Or worse."

"What do you mean,  _or worse?_  Isn't dying bad enough?"

"There are things worse than death," Changkyun responded gravely. "Some conduits live with horrible scars and pain that never goes away. Some lose their minds entirely. Death is the most merciful end for a used-up conduit, but if it doesn't happen naturally, some witches just abandon their conduits, broken and useless as they are. Too much trouble and nothing to gain."

"So Hyungwon..."

"Is in good hands," Changkyun assured Taehyung. "I would never do that to him. I know his limits very well, and I never take too much. I always give him plenty of time to rest up and restore his magic. But if a different witch gets a hold of Hyungwon, they may not be so kind."

"How could they do that?" Taehyung asked, his voice low because he didn't want Hyungwon to overhear. His stomach roiled in disgust at the thought of someone like Hyungwon being subjected to a torturous existence.

"You have to understand, Taehyung," Changkyun said with a small sigh of self-loathing towards himself and his kind. "Witches don't view humans as valuable life forces. Humans generally don't have any magic, nor can they wield it. As far as witches are concerned, humans are worthless, both in use and in value. They think nothing of the suffering of a human, no more than you empathize with a bug you've stepped on. They see humans as a meaningless existence, one that they have every right to steal or destroy."

"But not you," Taehyung said slowly. "Why aren't you like that?"

There was a slight pause. "I've lived a long time, and I've learned a lot. Humans have helped me along the way when I was in times of need. Most witches are too proud to accept help from humans, but there was a time in my life where I had no other choice. It was then that I experienced kindness the likes of which I'd never before seen." Changkyun paused, his voice shifting back to one of an urgent nature. "Listen, Taehyung. You can't take Hyungwon outside again. Witches may already be on their way. You should be safe if you don't leave the apartment, but I'll try to return as quickly as possible. Don't let anyone inside, not even if they say they are me. I have my own ways of getting inside. Open the door to no one."

"I won't let anyone take Hyungwon," Taehyung promised, not entirely sure exactly what he was caught up in.

"I'm holding you to that," Changkyun said before hanging up.


	10. Chapter 10

"Was that Kyunnie?" Hyungwon asked, coming into the living room and sitting with one knee bent and the other leg drawn in. He had a bag of cookies in his hand, and he pulled out another one and starting crunching away while his eyes scanned Taehyung's.

"Yeah," Taehyung said, not bothering to lie because he felt like Hyungwon would see through it. "He was worried. I guess I shouldn't have taken you outside."

"I had a fun time," Hyungwon said, tilting his head slightly. "It's not your fault. I knew that we probably shouldn't but I let you anyway."

"Will another witch really try to take you?" Taehyung asked, frowning and sitting up. He was worried about this...person, cat, conduit...whatever he was.

Hyungwon nodded, taking another cookie. Taehyung knew he should scold him, but he also knew that Hyungwon wouldn't be able to enjoy human snacks for another month, so he was okay with letting it slide. "It's happened before. And I was with another witch before Changkyun came along."

Taehyung's eyes grew wider. "A different witch? Who?" he asked even though he knew he wouldn't recognize any name that was given.

But Hyungwon didn't give a name, just pushed his lips out in a pout. "A not-very-nice witch." He paused. "Changkyun is a nice witch. I like Changkyun."

Taehyung frowned in worry but decided that it wasn't the right time to press for more detail. "Well, Changkyun said to stay inside from now on so they can't find you...Sorry, Hyungwon..."

"It's fine," Hyungwon replied, shrugging carelessly. "I'm not losing anything I ever really had."

Taehyung stared at Hyungwon, trying to ingrain the image of him into his mind. After all, he didn't know if he'd ever see him again. Likely not in this form, at least. "What's Changkyun even doing?" he asked, frowning slightly. He was grateful that Changkyun's absence had given him the opportunity to get to know Hyungwon, but he didn't understand what was so important to Changkyun that he had to abandon his pet human for weeks.

"He didn't tell me," Hyungwon said, pausing before frowning and grabbing another cookie. "He doesn't tell me a lot about what he does. For my safety. Or maybe he thinks I would be unhappy if I knew what he was doing."

"Why would you be unhappy?"

"I think he wants to keep me away from his world, from witches and magic and everything. But I'm more worried about him getting himself hurt or in trouble," Hyungwon said, setting down the box of cookies and drawing his knees in to his chest. "What happens if he goes out one day and he doesn't come back? And I'm just here, waiting for him to come home?" Hyungwon rested his chin on his knees, and Taehyung hesitated only briefly before moving closer and placing a hand on Hyungwon's head, rubbing gently the same way he'd pet a cat.

"He cares about you too much to leave you alone."

"But what if he doesn't have a choice? What if he gets a new familiar, a better one that has more magic? Then he won't need me anymore." Hyungwon dropped his head further so Taehyung couldn't see his eyes. "I don't have anywhere else to go. And I know what will happen to me if I'm thrown out. I don't want that."

"He won't do that," Taehyung assured, but his hand stilled on Hyungwon's head. Truth be told, the thought of Hyungwon's safety - his entire  _existence_  - resting on one man's head was alarming. If something happened to Changkyun, Hyungwon was certain to suffer, whether as an enslaved familiar or just as a stray cat with no home to go to.

"I know, he told me," Hyungwon said. "But sometimes it's harder to believe than others."

Taehyung was saved a response when his phone rang, and he pulled back, answering it quickly. "Hello? Changkyun?"

"Hey, sorry to bother you again so soon, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm sending a friend over-"

At that moment, a man appeared in the center of the living room as though summoned out of thin air.

"He's safe," Changkyun assured. "Sorry, I've got to go. He'll help you protect Hyungwon. Bye."

Taehyung's mouth hung open as he fumbled for a response to someone who was no longer listening. He dropped his phone on the couch, noticing that Hyungwon had unfolded himself and was looking up at the stranger.

"Who-" Taehyung began, just as the man grinned, Hyungwon mimicking his smile as the man jumped over to Hyungwon, scratching lightly behind his ears and running his hands through Hyungwon's hair. Hyungwon arched his back, clearly enjoying the affectionate touches, his eyes closed as he leaned into the man's hand.

"Wonnie, I've missed you!" the man cried out, hugging Hyungwon close before turning and winking at the speechless Taehyung, Hyungwon still closed within the circle of his arms. "I believe Changkyun informed you I was coming? I'm Jooheon, by the way."


	11. Chapter 11

Jooheon stood up straight, both hands supporting Hyungwon's thighs, as the taller had wrapped himself around Jooheon with his legs curled around Jooheon's hips and his arms wrapped around Jooheon's torso and his head nestled into the crook of Jooheon's neck. Jooheon just moved one hand to pat Hyungwon's head softly as he gave Taehyung a smile.

"You-" Taehyung paused, finding it somewhat difficult to breathe. "You're a...a..."

"C'mon, say it," Jooheon teased, an amused glint in his eye as he tilted his head against Hyungwon's, causing Hyungwon to nuzzle against his neck. "The big w-word."

"A witch," Taehyung whispered, staring at Jooheon in slight horror. "Aren't you?"

Jooheon grinned, taking the hand on Hyungwon's head and rubbing it in circles against Hyungwon's back, the feline male exhaling contentedly. "I'm a lot of things, but sure, that's one of them. Why do you look so shocked? Never seen a witch before?"

"I didn't know that Changkyun was a...a witch back then," Taehyung stuttered, wanting to look away from Jooheon but afraid to let him out of his sight. Taehyung's eyes dropped down to the figure clinging to Jooheon's form. "You...know Hyungwon, then?"

Jooheon smiled once more, dimples appearing as he played with the ends of Hyungwon's hair against the nape of his neck. "You can think of me as Hyungwon's adoptive uncle. I help take care of him, especially when Changkyun's off doing whatever it is he needs to do." Jooheon looked down at the crown on Hyungwon's head, making a pouty face. "And I spoil you a lot, don't I? But I can't help it, can't I? Not when my Wonnie is so cute."

Taehyung frowned slightly, crossing his arms in an effort to try to keep his hands from shaking. He knew that if it ever came down to a fight between him and a witch, he wouldn't be the last one standing. He wouldn't even have a chance. "Then why didn't Changkyun just have  ** _you_**  watch Hyungwon for him?"

"Because," Jooheon said, shifting his weight slightly so he could better support Hyungwon. "He needed my help with something. And to be frank, he could still use the extra help, but  ** _someone_** created an emergency at home, so he dispatched me to come babysit."

Taehyung scowled at the older, who had turned his attention away from Taehyung and back to the boy in his arms.

"Have you already eaten, Hyungwon-ah? Uh huh? That's too bad, you know I would cook for you," Jooheon soothed.

"How are you supposed to protect us?" Taehyung interrupted, unhappy with the easy familiarity between the two.

Jooheon looked over before nodding. "That's right, I need to reinforce the barrier and add a few additional spells. My specialty is protection magic, after all." He paused to look down at Hyungwon. "Wonnie? I'm going to have to tap into your power, baby. Is that all right with you?"

Hyungwon nodded sleepily as he turned his head back to Jooheon's neck.

"I'm going to set you down, all right?" Jooheon asked, gently disentangling Hyungwon from himself, ignoring Hyungwon's soft whines of protest, and setting the taller down on the couch. "Are you comfortable, Wonnie?"

Hyungwon nodded, blinking with heavy eyelids, and Jooheon brushed aside Hyungwon's bangs, kneeling beside the couch.

"You can't fall asleep yet, okay, Wonnie? Hang in there for a few more minutes, all right?" Jooheon placed both hands on Hyungwon, one on his chest and one on his abdomen, and shut his eyes. Taehyung took several steps back, stumbling into the table, but he watched on with curious eyes as Jooheon's hands began glowing a soft blue. He brought up his right hand and performed a series of gestures over the two of them before he began tracing symbols Taehyung had never seen into the air, beautiful sweeping motions with his index and middle finger, his eyes still closed. After a symbol had been formed, it remained hovering in the air, emitting blue sparks that disappeared before they could make contact with anything. After composing a small script of foreign symbols, Jooheon held up an open palm and pushed forward. The line of characters, what Taehyung assumed to be a spell or something like a sentence, propelled forward, colliding into the wall, and the symbols scattered, dispersing into millions of tiny blue pixels as they were absorbed into the structure of the apartment. The apartment wall rippled once with a wave of blue light before it vanished. Jooheon then repeated the same process with different symbols this time, all the while keeping one palm on Hyungwon's chest as he composed several more spells, pushing them each forward into the walls, whereupon they burst apart and disappeared.

After three or four such motions, Jooheon made a series of gestures over himself and Hyungwon before opening his eyes and removing his hand from the taller. Where his left palm had been now remained the blue imprint of a hand, which began slowly disappearing as Jooheon stood up, small beads of sweat on his forehead and his breathing noticeably heavier than before.

"Thank you, Wonnie," Jooheon said, bowing his head in thanks before running a now non-glowing hand through Hyungwon's hair.

Hyungwon blinked several times, fighting to open his eyes, and he gave Jooheon an adoring smile before his eyes shut again.

"Is he okay?" Taehyung asked, taking a step closer.

Jooheon nodded, carefully sliding a hand underneath Hyungwon's upper back and one beneath his knees as he lifted the taller up. "He'll be fine, he just needs some rest," Jooheon said as he moved Hyungwon from the couch to his bedroom, setting him down before pulling the covers over him. Then Jooheon exited Hyungwon's room, pulling the door shut after him and stopping at the edge of the living room, a slight smirk on his face as he took in Taehyung's wariness. "It's sort of like giving blood," he reassured. "He'll feel a little weak for a short period of time, and it's important that he gets both rest and replenishment, but like blood, his magic will return."

"How can you feel okay just  ** _using_**  him like that?" Taehyung asked, a frown on his face, and as Jooheon took a step into the living room, he took a step back.

"Because," Jooheon began. "This process gives meaning to his existence. Witches and familiars have worked together for a long time. What's he going to do with all that magic that he can't even access? And I'm okay with it because I'm doing it in order to protect him and, as an unavoidable side benefit, you as well. And what's more," Jooheon said, taking a step forward with every statement, and Taehyung backed up until he felt his shoulder blades hit the wall. "I always ask for permission. If Hyungwon says no, then I won't do it. That's my rule."

Jooheon was just a foot or two away from Taehyung now, close enough to reach out and hit him or worse, do  ** _magic_**  on him if he needed to, but Jooheon just let the tension build for a moment before taking a step back, a grin on his face as the tension in the air dissolved. "Besides," he said with a small chuckle. "Changkyun may be an all-powerful witch, but I'm pretty weak. It would be near-impossible for me to perform that many spells at once with just my own power. Stacking spells basically multiplies the effect produced, but it also multiplies the magic required," Jooheon explained as he took a seat on the couch, folding his arms behind his head as he watched Taehyung take a few hesitant steps forward.

"But...I thought...Hyungwon was Changkyun's familiar," Taehyung said slowly, still uncomfortable with the idea of witches in general, but it wasn't an existence he could doubt after all he'd seen. "So...how are you able to-"

"There's a bond between a witch and his or her familiar that's created through a special ceremony," Jooheon acknowledged, nodding. "A bond that sort of amplifies the magic produced. But other witches can access the source just as easily, although they may not be able to yield as much magic. It's sort of like...how do I explain it...Hyungwon is like a power outlet, okay, and anyone can plug their cord in, only Changkyun has a special cord that doubles the power going through. Does that make sense?"

Taehyung gave a hesitant nod.

"The relationship and familiarity between the witch and familiar plays a role in the amount of power transferred," Jooheon continued. "The more a witch bonds with a specific familiar, the stronger their access to the magic contained. I've borrowed Hyungwon's magic several times, which makes our bond stronger than a witch who is a stranger to him because the magic within him recognizes my magical signature. Changkyun has been relying on Hyungwon for decades, perhaps centuries, so their bond is certain to be stronger than any other."

Taehyung nodded to show his understanding.

"But in the end, anyone can access it. Hyungwon can't reject someone's request once the transfer has started, which is why asking permission is important to me," Jooheon said, his smile fading as his words took on a more serious tone. "The actual transfer of magical energy isn't initiated until the witch has made physical contact with the familiar and has performed the  ** _aarambha_** , which is...think of it like a signal to begin. Then, the process is complete after the witch has finished the rite by performing  ** _anta_** , which is basically the  ** _aarambha_**  but in reverse to signify an end."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Taehyung asked after a long moment, but he was unable to deny his endless curiosity and how interested he was in what Jooheon had been describing.

"Because," Jooheon said, although a beat too late as though he'd changed his mind. "If you're going to be hanging around Changkyun and Hyungwon, you may as well understand how it all works. And it's important that you understand how well Hyungwon is cared for here in case you thought about getting any stupid ideas to 'rescue' him and actually expose him to more danger."

Taehyung nodded, although he found Jooheon's explanation to be unsatisfactory. He slowly eased himself onto the opposite end of the couch, still not fully trusting the other. "Jooheon?"

"Hmm?"

"What is Changkyun actually doing?"


	12. Chapter 12

"What is Changkyun actually doing?"

"What  _is_  he doing?" Jooheon mused, resting his chin on one fist.

"You mean you don't know?" Taehyung asked, eyes wide with surprise as he leaned back, still studying Jooheon's profile.

"Oh, I know, I'm just trying to decide whether or not to tell you," Jooheon said with a sheepish grin.

"Well you and Changkyun have already gotten me pretty involved," Taehyung argued, crossing his arms and glaring at Jooheon. While the witch had seemed intimidating at first, Taehyung's fear of him had quickly worn off, leaving him peeved at the mischievous male sitting before him.

"You right," Jooheon agreed easily, nodding before turning to face Taehyung. "Do you want the long version or the short version?"

Taehyung hesitated. "Well...what's the short version?"

"Changkyun's hunting down some bad witches," Jooheon said concisely.

Taehyung groaned, rubbing at his forehead. "The long version, then."

Jooheon snorted but leaned back. "Let's see...this was, what, two hundred years ago? Closer to three hundred, I think. You know what they say, time flies..." Jooheon began with a slight smirk.

"Woah woah woah, how long is the long version?" Taehyung quickly interrupted, somewhat worried because he had a fairly short attention span.

"Relax!" Jooheon said, leaning over and slapping him lightly on the back. "It's a good story with all your favorite characters!"

"Characters?"

"Of course! Me-" Jooheon paused to strike a pose, throwing up a cute peace sign. (Taehyung was not amused.) "-Changkyun, and Hyungwon."

"Wait, Hyungwon is involved?" Taehyung asked, brows creased.

"Of course, he's basically the main character," Jooheon said. "Well? Do you want to hear it or not?"

"Fine," Taehyung muttered gruffly. "Go ahead."

" _Thank_  you," Jooheon said with a wink before picking back up with his story. "So, around three hundred years ago - don't quote me on that - the witches were gathering for  _nyayana_." Upon seeing the questioning look in Taehyung's eyes, he quickly added, " _Nyayana_  is...well, have you ever heard of the World Fair?"

Taehyung paused and nodded. "It's like an international exhibition they hold every few years, right?"

Jooheon nodded. "Exactly. Well, the witches have something like that too, called  _nyayana_. It's held every fifty years or so. It's this big grand event where all the witches gather - all the powerful ones, anyway - and they show off their magic. Sometimes there are demonstrations of new spells or techniques, but the main focus is on reconnecting with other witches, since we're all scattered around the world and typically live pretty isolated lives. When everyone gets together, it's only natural that the witches want to show off how much power they've accumulated over the past 50 years, which is what  _nyayana_  is  _really_ about - entertainment."

"What kind of entertainment?" Taehyung asked with a slight frown, already sensing that this wouldn't be a happy story.

Jooheon sighed, tilting his head and rubbing at one side of it. "You have to understand, witches are a powerful lot. Things like fireworks aren't enough to please them."

"So?"

Jooheon sighed again, his head dropping slightly as he looked down, avoiding Taehyung's eyes. "They usually bring in humans."

"For entertainment?" Taehyung asked, a crinkle in his brow as he struggled to understand. "Why? I thought Changkyun said that humans are beneath witches."

"They are," Jooheon immediately replied before wincing. "That's the common perception, I mean. They bring in humans as part of the entertainment, and they...put on a show of sorts."

"A show?"

Jooheon bit his lip, trying to find a way to explain the concept without making himself out to be a horrible person. "They force humans to participate in games of the witches' design for the entertainment of everyone."

"What kind of games?" Taehyung asked, already feeling sick. "Where do these humans even come from? What happens to them?"

Jooheon licked his lips before biting them once more. "There are usually thirteen witches in charge of planning. They're responsible for gathering humans by...well, the standard practice is to abduct them from a nearby village or town or, in these days, city. It's just another way for witches to demonstrate their superiority over humans. Each of the witches is responsible for bringing one human, so thirteen total. And that year, Changkyun was one of the thirteen in charge, and he chose Hyungwon."

Jooheon looked over at Taehyung before breaking out in a grin. "I'm just kidding, Changkyun wasn't in charge. Some other witch took Hyungwon."

Taehyung glared at Jooheon, leaning over and punching the other in the arm. "Don't joke about that!"

"Sorry," Jooheon said, his face growing solemn. "A witch by the name of Seungcheol took Hyungwon from his home. Witches prefer children, particularly the ages of eleven or thirteen, as those numbers are considered sacred to the occult. Hyungwon was eleven, I believe," Jooheon said softly after a small pause before shaking his head and continuing on. "Seungcheol was head witch that year, so he was responsible for creating the game."

Jooheon took a deep breath, drawing back memories he hadn't revisited in a long time. "The rules were simple. Twelve mice and one cat. If any of the mice escaped, the mice would be set free, and the cat would be killed. But if the cat killed all of the mice, then the cat would be set free." Jooheon fell silent.

"What happened?" Taehyung asked, swallowing. "How did Hyungwon escape?"

"He didn't," Jooheon said, his tone odd as he stared down at the carpeting. "He was Seungheol's pick that year, and as the head witch, Seungcheol assigned Hyungwon to play the role of the cat."

Taehyung's eyes were still clouded with confusion.

"Curses are a delicate thing," Jooheon continued after a moment. "They're very difficult to get just right, and because they last for an indefinite amount of time - until certain requirements are met - they require an enormous amount of power. They brought in several conduits that year," Jooheon said, his fingers stilling. "Even with the thirteen witches working together, they still needed additional power. They drained three conduits in order to bestow the curses on the thirteen chosen child."

"That's how Hyungwon was cursed?" Taehyung asked, eyes seeking confirmation.

Jooheon nodded, lips twitching. "He was cursed into taking the form and limitations of a cat. As a cat, he cannot speak, but he retains his own mind, that of his human form. As for the other twelve, the same curse applied, only they took the form of mice. They are basic curses of transmutation."

"Then what happened after they were cursed?" Taehyung asked, biting his lip. "What happened to Hyungwon? And what about the other boys? Did any of them escape too?"

Jooheon looked down, intertwining his fingers. "Twelve mice and one cat. If any of the mice escaped, the mice would be set free, and the cat would be killed. But if the cat killed all of the mice, then the cat would be set free," he repeated from earlier in an empty voice. Jooheon hesitated before looking over at Taehyung with a pained smile. "I would appreciate it - as would Changkyun - if you wouldn't bring this up in Hyungwon's presence."

Taehyung paled, struck by an impossibly dark thought that could in no way be true. "No, Hyungwon didn't- He couldn't have-"

"The head witch set him free, as promised," Jooheon said, looking away toward the closed door to Hyungwon's bedroom. "Because a win for Hyungwon was a source of pride for Seungcheol, who had chosen him. And so he wandered the earth for some time before Changkyun found him by chance, more than anything. After reading Hyungwon's magical signature, he quickly connected Hyungwon to the  _nyayana_  from decades earlier, and it was then that he took Hyungwon in and began caring for him."

"Twelve boys," Taehyung said, ignoring the conclusion to the story, his voice haunted. He couldn't look toward the bedroom, not now. "Twelve boys, who  _died_  because of-"

"They'd be dead by now anyway," Jooheon snapped. "And if even one of them had escaped, Hyungwon would be the dead one and they would still be living cursed lives as miserable little rodents. The odds were against him, Taehyung."

Taehyung just shook his head slowly, thinking back to all the moments he'd shared with someone he'd thought of as a friend. Napping in the park. Curling up on the couch to watch CSI. Even-

He gagged at the thought of having woken up next to Hyungwon, the taller lying beside him only half-clothed.

Taehyung had lain in bed with a killer, a murderer. That was what he had been watching over -  _caring for_  - for the past two weeks. To think that he'd been worried, that he had wanted to  _protect_ him-

He scrambled up from the couch, a burning sensation in the back of his throat as he ran his hands down his pants, trying to wipe away any evidence of the brief connection he'd felt with Hyungwon.

"Taehyung, calm down-" Jooheon began, but Taehyung turned to him, anger and panic equally written in his eyes.

"Don't tell me to calm down! He's-  _It's_  a killer! It killed twelve people, maybe more! Twelve  _children!_  And you want me to  _take care of it?_  To feed it and- and-"

Jooheon stood up, his face stormy and cold. "Don't call Hyungwon an  _it_. And  _he_  isn't a killer. He had no choice. The blame lies with those in charge and with those who looked on without stopping it," Jooheon said, his stony facade breaking momentarily as guilt washed over his face.

"It doesn't matter! He still- it still-" Taehyung couldn't finish his thought, too disgusted by the thought of that  _thing_  that he'd been living with for two weeks. The fact that he'd ever felt the slightest of affection for something that had killed twelve children-

Taehyung ran off to the bathroom, on the verge of vomiting, and Jooheon sighed before turning his head toward the cracked-open door.

"I'm sorry, Hyungwon. I didn't think he'd react like that," Jooheon said, wondering how much Hyungwon had heard, his heart aching at the thought of his friend in pain.

His answer was the soft sound of the door shutting.


	13. Chapter 13

Taehyung dragged the back of his hand against his mouth. He hadn't been able to throw anything up, only dry heave over the sink, but his stomach was still at unrest. The longer he stayed in the apartment, the worse he felt.

He turned off the sink and exited the bathroom, freezing for a moment before turning towards Changkyun's bedroom. He sighed in relief when he found it empty, Jooheon likely in the kitchen and Hyungwon likely still sleeping next door. Moving as quickly as possible, he grabbed all of his scattered belongings, mainly just clothes and books, and shoved them in his backpack. He needed to leave before any of those damn witches decided to use their magic on him.

"Leaving so soon?" came a voice from the doorway, and Taehyung startled, looking over to see Jooheon observing him with crossed arms.

Taehyung just turned back to the task at hand, throwing his favorite flannel in his backpack and zipping it up. He'd likely forgotten a few odd items around the house, but he'd pay for new ones, as long as he could leave. "I've been here long enough," he answered, tugging the backpack over his shoulders. "Tell Changkyun that I don't need his money."

"Tell him yourself," Jooheon retorted, refusing to move as Taehyung struggled to fit through the door frame with him half in the way.

"I'd rather not," Taehyung answered. "I don't know how the hell I got mixed up in all this, but I'm done with this whole thing, with...with witches, and curses, and..."  _Murderers,_  he meant to say, but Hyungwon's face flashed into his forehead, innocent and pure as he slept underneath a sun he hadn't gotten to experience in years. Taehyung swallowed, shaking his head and reminding himself that Hyungwon was a  _murderer , _a  _child-killer_  no less. "And all of it," Taehyung concluded, glaring over at Jooheon. "Are...are you going to stop me?" he asked after a second, warily looking down at Jooheon's hands to see if they'd started glowing.

Jooheon laughed, a sharp sound that was at odds with his soft features. "No. I specialize in protection magic, remember? And if you don't want my protection, then there's nothing I can do for you. Or against you, for that matter."

"Good," Taehyung stated, almost angered by the fact that Jooheon was just going to let him walk out. "I hope I never see you again."

"Never would be too soon," Jooheon agreed, hurt for Hyungwon's sake rather than his own. He walked over to the door. "Thanks for watching Hyungwon while we were gone. He seemed to enjoy your company," Jooheon stated nonetheless.

Taehyung flinched, avoiding Jooheon's eyes as he went out the door.

Jooheon sighed before pulling it closed behind him and checking the status of the barriers to make sure they were all fully-functioning.

Hyungwon's door swung inward, and he emerged, a blanket hanging over his shoulders and dark circles under his eyes from having his magical energy drained so recently. "He's really gone?"

Jooheon frowned before going over to Hyungwon and pinching his cheeks. "Taehyung just got a little busy, is all, so he couldn't stay any longer," he said, sliding his his hands to the sides of Hyungwon's face before pulling his head down so he could give him a peck on the forehead. "He said he's going to miss hanging out with you."

"Liar," Hyungwon accused softly. "He doesn't want to be around me anymore. That's why he left, isn't it?"

Jooheon sighed, pulling back before sliding his hand down to meet Hyungwon's. "Come on, I'll cook something delicious for you, okay?"

Hyungwon just followed complacently, tugging his blanket tighter around his thin form.

***

"-don't know why I even took the job in the first place," Taehyung muttered, leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet up on the desk.

"Yeah, you're allergic to cats, aren't you?" Jungkook asked from the other end of the call, knitting his eyebrows anxiously. "Did you have to take medication while you were there?"

"Right, my allergies," Taehyung recalled, rubbing at his forehead. "Well, they weren't so bad at first but then I found out that there was something I was  _highly_  allergic to and I thought it was best that I left."

"Yeah, good call," Jungkook agreed. "At least you got some good money out of it."

"That's the thing, I don't even know if I'm going to accept the money," Taehyung replied with a sigh. "I'm just so disgusted by it all-"

"By what? Was his house messy or something? Changkyun always seemed pretty neat on the few occasions on which I've seen him," Jungkook mused, and Taehyung hurried to find an excuse.

"Well, no, I mean, most of it was fine but there's this one thing that was really dirty and I couldn't stand to be around it any more."

"Oh," Jungkook said, sounding like he didn't understand, which made sense seeing as Taehyung was rambling on vaguely about nonsense. "All right...was the cat cute at least?"

"Cute?" Taehyung scoffed. "That thing was evil! You don't even know what it did-"

"It bit your ankle a few times, didn't it?" Jungkook asked with a laugh. "I wish I could have been there."

Taehyung scowled, leaning his head back and running a hand through his hair. "I hope I never see that cat again."

"Well, it's an indoor cat, right?" Jungkook asked. "So I think the chances are pretty unlikely."

_An indoor cat._

Taehyung felt a slight jolt in his heart.

_"I'm not allowed outside."_

And then later how Hyungwon had looked as he took in the sun, scared at first by all of the people but slowly growing more relaxed, curling up around Taehyung for a nap, his hair soft as Taehyung ran his hands through it...

"Stupid cat," Taehyung said, but his heart wasn't in it. He just couldn't justify the Hyungwon he'd gotten to know - a passive-aggressive cat with a penchant for whining, as well as a soft-hearted human who had grown used to the confines of several rooms as the only possibility for safety - with the Hyungwon he knew to exist, someone who had killed twelve children to save his own life.

_But he was only eleven years old..._

Taehyung shook his head, banishing the thought, but it swam back into his mind unbidden.

What had Taehyung been up to when he was eleven?

Riding his bike, going down to the ice cream parlor with Jungkook, laughing as they sped past angry moms?

He'd never had to fight someone, much less to the death. But he still couldn't imagine himself killing another person, much less twelve, even if he knew he would die.

A knock on the door startled him. "Ah, sorry, Kook. I've gotta go. I'll talk to you soon," he excused.

"Yah! You'd better, you punk! This is the last time you'll hang up on Jeon Jung-"

Taehyung hung up, sliding the phone into his pocket as he went to answer the door.

"Hello?"

"Hi," said a shy-looking boy who looked to be about the same age and height as himself. He was wearing a sweatshirt with sleeves just a bit too long, and his fingers curled around the edges as he raised his hand in supplication. "I'm sorry to intrude, but may I come in for a moment? I need to call someone but I forgot my phone."

"Sure," Taehyung said, opening the door wider and allowing the other male inside. "Here, you can borrow my phone," he said, handing it over after unlocking it. He turned back to shut the door and then faced the other. "Do you want something to drink? Coffee? Tea?"

"Water would be fine if you have some," the boy said, looking up with an embarrassed smile on his face. "I'm sorry, I'm not usually this forgetful but-"

"It's fine," Taehyung said, waving a hand at the boy. "I'll be right back." He disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and returned with glass of water, holding it out to the stranger.

Instead of taking it from him, the stranger looked up with dark eyes. Gone was the sweet smile from earlier, replaced by a slight smirk. "You have a Changkyun in your contacts," the boy remarked. "Isn't that odd, as a man by the same name has been holding on to something of mine."


	14. Chapter 14

Taehyung stared at the boy, fear starting to creep up from his stomach. His hand began shaking, the water sloshing up the slides of the glass. "I think- I think you should leave now."

"I'm afraid I can't," the boy said, standing up, and Taehyung dropped the glass. It shattered on the floor, water and glass shards scattering everywhere. The stranger took a step forward, forcing Taehyung backward, and he winced as he felt a shard of glass cut into his foot. "You see, I've been looking for this thing for a very long time, and I believe you know where it is."

"W-Who are you?" Taehyung asked, taking several more steps back and thankfully avoiding any more glass.

"I don't know that the name would mean anything to you, but my name is Seungcheol," the boy answered, taking in the flash of pure terror across Taehyung's face. "So it  _does_  mean something to you, huh? Has Changkyun been spilling secrets?" A smirk crept over the boy's lips. "You know what they say about snitches."

"I don't have anything of yours!" Taehyung yelled. His fingers felt around for the phone in his back pocket, but who could he call? He didn't want to involve Jungkook in any of this, especially now that he was beginning to realize how dangerous the world was. His only other option was Changkyun, but he'd just cut ties with them and wasn't exactly eager to go crawling for their help.

"That's funny," Seungcheol said, small purple sparks flying out from his hands. "Because I can sense his signature all over you."

"It was an accident!" Taehyung denied, backing up into the kitchen. Seungcheol followed. "Changkyun asked me to take care of him for a few days! I didn't know what he was!"

"But you do know  _where_  he is, don't you?" Seungcheol asked, a pleasant smile on his face. By this point, he had backed Taehyung into a wall, effectively trapping him. "You do understand, don't you?" Seungcheol asked, trailing a gentle finger along Taehyung's face.

His skin burned where Seungcheol's magic met him.

"I don't want to hurt you," Seungcheol continued. "In fact, I couldn't care less about you." He paused, smiling apologetically at Taehyung. "I don't mean that in a rude way. Truth be told, that's the best thing for you. You mean nothing to me, certainly not worthy of my time or energy. All I want is to retrieve that which belongs to me."

Seungcheol grinned as he leaned in closer to Taehyung. "And I need your help to get it."

"Get it yourself," Taehyung snarled back, pushing Seungcheol away from him. "I'm done with all of this! Stay away from me!"

Seungcheol just smirked. "Bye, for now," he said, giving a two-finger salute before turning and walking out the door.

Taehyung swallowed, the adrenaline fleeing his body as he fell to his knees, his whole frame shaking in fear. He'd been around witches before, but neither Changkyun nor Jooheon had ever made him feel that terrified, that immobile.

His shook his head, swallowing once more as he tried to force a sense of normality upon himself. "The glass..." he murmured. "I need to...clean up the glass..."

He set about cleaning the room, carefully picking up all the glass and wiping up the spilled water before going to the bathroom and addressing the few small cuts he'd received.


	15. Chapter 15

A month passed. Ample time for feelings to morph and change.

Changkyun still hadn't returned, and Jooheon came and went. Often, Hyungwon spent his time alone, sleeping his way through the day. He'd been alive hundreds of years. So why had he only felt alive for those two weeks?

He sighed, rolling off his bed and falling onto the floor. As a cat, he would always land on all fours, but that didn't exactly ring true in his human form. He groaned, positive that he'd hit the floor with every single vertebrae in his spine, before he slowly sat up, rubbing at his brow. He was human again, only there was no one to talk to. The feeling was unfamiliar.

Changkyun had never been gone this long. He'd certainly never been away on  ** _Amavasya_  **before, let alone missed two of them. Even within the confines of the apartment, Changkyun had always treated it as a celebration. He would cook breakfast (or invite Jooheon over to cook for them), and they'd watch movies and play games.

This would be the second  ** _Amavasya_  **without Changkyun, and the first without anybody.

Hyungwon threw on a loose shirt and black jeans, bristling at the way they scratched at his skin. He walked into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and staring at the dwindling food inside. Jooheon always restocked the fridge and the cat food whenever he stopped by, and he was due a visit soon. Hyungwon shut the fridge, opening the freezer instead and automatically reaching for the ice cream before stopping short.

With a small frown, he retracted his hand, his craving vanishing. He'd eat later, maybe.

He ventured into the living room and curled up in his chair. He stared at the TV but made no move to turn it on. He'd grown rather bored of it, especially with no one home lately. Not even Horatio Caine could ease his loneliness.

What was he supposed to do with a human body? He had used to enjoy it, these rare occasions on which he reverted back to himself. But he'd even grown tired of that, it seemed. What was the use of a human body in the midst of solitude? All the humans he'd once cared about were dead by several hundred years. His family had died without ever knowing why he went missing. He wondered if his mother had known that he had still been alive, if she had felt it in her heart up until the day he died. He remembered having been told a long time ago that he looked like his mother, but he couldn't remember her face. He wondered if he still took after her.

He frowned, snapping his head to the right abruptly. He hadn't thought of the past in a long time, and it wasn't something he liked to do. Instead, he picked up the phone, pressing a string of numbers carefully with his human fingers and letting it ring.

"Hello?" Changkyun's voice answered, slightly on edge.

"Kyun," Hyungwon replied with a sigh, leaning his upper body over the arm of the armchair.

"Hyungwon!" Changkyun responded, his voice full of energy. "That's right, today is  ** _Amavasya_** , isn't it."

"Yeah," Hyungwon replied, looking down and trying not to pout.

"I'm sorry, Wonnie," Changkyun immediately said, able to sense his loneliness through the phone. "I'd be there if I could, I promise, but this is very important and-'

"It's okay. I understand."

Changkyun hesitated. "Maybe...maybe I could teleport over for just a little bit and-"

"No, it's okay," Hyungwon said, already feeling guilty for distracting Changkyun. "You're very busy. I don't want to disturb you."

"Oh, Wonnie," Changkyun said with a sigh. "You're not a bother. I've never thought of you that way."

"I just needed to hear your voice," Hyungwon said softly. "That's all. I'm fine now."

Changkyun hesitated before sighing once more. "Hyungwon, I'm sorry about Taehyung. I only asked him to watch you because I thought he was a good person."

"He  _is_  a good person," Hyungwon said, resting his chin on his free arm. "It's just that I'm not."

"Don't say that," Changkyun denied, a trace of irritation in his voice. "I've spent hundreds of years by your side. Taehyung spent, what, two weeks? I think I'm more qualified to know what's in your heart and soul than him."

Hyungwon hummed but didn't reply.

Changkyun swallowed, wanting to raise Hyungwon's mood, but he wasn't sure how. "Any fun plans for today?"

"I think I might go back to sleep," Hyungwon said, already blinking heavily.

"Aish, don't sleep on  _ **Amavasya**_!" Changkyun scolded.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Hyungwon asked dully.

Changkyun tried to find an answer but gave up. "I'm sorry, Wonnie. I'll make it up to you when I get back, okay?"

Hyungwon was quiet. "You are going to come back, right?" he asked softly.

"What was that?" Changkyun asked, unable to hear.

"Nothing. Bye, Kyunnie. Stay safe," Hyungwon said before hanging up. He set the phone back down and was in the process of deciding if he wanted to sleep curled up in the armchair or if he wanted to get up and sleep in either his or Changkyun's bed when there was a knock at the door.

He hesitated before hopping up, landing nimbly on his feet before walking over to the door and hesitating.

"Who- who is it?" he asked without opening it.

"It's Taehyung," came the answer. "Look, I'm sorry. Can we talk?"


	16. Chapter 16

Hyungwon opened the door to see Taehyung standing outside the apartment.

"Ah, Hyungwon," Taehyung greeted awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck before looking away. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Hyungwon didn't say anything, just watched to see what Taehyung would do next.

"I'm sorry for..." Taehyung blew out a breath. "For leaving like that, and...saying those things about you. I don't know if you heard them, but I'm sorry anyway."

Hyungwon looked down to the side.

"Is Changkyun back?" Taehyung asked after a second.

"No," Hyungwon answered quietly.

Taehyung tilted his head. "But it's  _Amavasya_ , isn't it?" He paused. "He's been gone for a month and a half now."

"Yeah," Hyungwon said. He didn't know what else there was to say, really.

"Oh." Taehyung scuffed his foot against the ground. "Can you...can you come out for a bit?" He looked up, tongue ready with excuses, but Hyungwon was already stepping out the door, closing it after himself before turning to Taehyung with expectant eyes.

"Where are we going?"

Taehyung blinked, having expected exponentially more resistance, but he just nodded, pulling himself together. "I was thinking we could go back to the park..."

Hyungwon nodded. "That sounds nice."

They walked side by side. It wasn't like before. Hyungwon wasn't clinging to him this time, although Taehyung could sense his discomfort. Instead, Hyungwon walked slowly, hands in his pockets, eyes focused on the sidewalk.

Taehyung hesitated, realizing that Hyungwon was only wearing a thin t-shirt. "Are you cold?"

Hyungwon's lips twitched. "No. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Taehyung hesitated before taking the jacket off his own shoulders and draping it over Hyungwons'. "I don't want you getting sick because of me."

Hyungwon didn't say anything, but he nodded his head forward in gratitude, his eyes shifting down towards Taehyung's feet uncertainly before focusing back in front of himself.

They reached the park several minutes later. Due to the chill in the air, they were the only ones out.

"Hyungwon...I'm sorry," Taehyung said once more, biting his lip.

Hyungwon just looked around the park, goosebumps on his arms, but he didn't feel the cold. "It's nice here. I like it. Thank you for taking me."

"No, Hyungwon," Taehyung tried once more, desperation in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Hyungwon turned to look at him, eyes curious but unassuming, pure and innocent. "For what? There is nothing to forgive."

"There is," Taehyung said, his voice raw. "Please, Hyungwon, you have to forgive me-"

"You've done nothing wrong," Hyungwon said, puzzlement in his eyes.

"He has," a voice said, approaching from behind them. Hyungwon stilled. "Don't you agree, Taehyung?"

"Please," Taehyung said, looking at Hyungwon's face, but Hyungwon's eyes were on the ground, unreadable to Taehyung. "I didn't have a choice. He was going to hurt my friend."

"It's been a long time," Seungcheol greeted as he stopped several feet from them. "But fate has a way of bringing lost things back together."

Hyungwon was shaking. Taehyung realized with a start that he'd never seen Hyungwon scared before, but he thought he might be seeing it now.

"Isn't that right?" Sungcheol asked, putting a hand underneath Hyungwon's chin and turning his head so he faced Sungcheol. Still, Hyungwon did not look up.

Unlike Taehyung's first encounter with Sungcheol during which his fingertips had been bathed in dark magic that had burned Taehyung's skin, his fingers were delicate now, tracing Hyungwon's skin as though he were a priceless creature.

"I created you," Sungcheol whispered in Hyungwon's ear, his nose pressing lightly against Hyungwon's lobe. "And when I gave you the slightest taste of freedom, you turned from your master."

Sungcheol pulled back abruptly and backhanded Hyungwon, his face unchanging as though he'd never moved. Hyungwon took the blow, remaining on his feet, although his whimper belied both his pain and fear.

"Now, now," Sungcheol scolded softly, turning Hyungwon's head once more so he could look at his face. "Good kittens don't get punished. Only bad kittens."

Hyungwon didn't react, still staring at the ground as though praying for salvation from the earth, distancing himself from reality the only way he knew how.

"Look at me," Sungcheol commanded.

Hyungwon flinched.

"Look at me," Sungcheol repeated, his voice tense and layered with a deeper, darker tone.

Hyungwon's eyes slowly moved up to meet Sungcheol's.

"What a pretty thing you've become," Sungcheol murmured, brushing his fingertips with featherlight movements along Hyungwon's hairline, pushing back the bangs obscuring Hyungwon's face. "You were a pretty child, but you've become so much more. I chose well, I dare say."

Sungcheol stared at his creation for a moment longer before looking over at Taehyung with unbridled disdain. "Your part has been fulfilled, human. As promised, no harm will come to your human friend. Now leave this place."

"What-" Taehyung swallowed. As with before, when in Sungcheol's presence, his body reacted to the enormous amount of dark power by freezing up. "What's going to happen to him?"

"None of your concern," Sungcheol snapped, looking back over at Taehyung before sighing once he realized that Taehyung wouldn't be that easy to get rid of. Sungcheol turned back to Hyungwon, sliding his hand from Hyungwon's cheek down his jawline, stopping with two fingers and a thumb on Hyungwon's delicate throat. Then with one swift motion, he ripped off Hyungwon's collar.

Hyungwon gagged for a moment at the sudden pressure on his throat before pain flashed in his eyes, emotional rather than physical, as he stared at the collar in Sungcheol's hand. Still, he kept quiet, his eyes fixated but his mouth shut.

"Here," Sungcheol said, throwing the collar to Taehyung, who caught it in both hands. "A token of my gratitude. Now leave."

Taehyung stared down at the small heart-shaped charm with Hyungwon's name engraved.

_It means that I'm his, so that other people don't take me._

"Please," Hyungwon whispered, his eyes - fixed on Taehyung's - filled with unimaginable pain.

Taehyung mouthed the word back in confusion.  _Please?_  Please what? Please find Changkyun? Please save me?

Please leave?

But Hyungwon was never able to finish his thought.

Sungcheol's hand shot out, grabbing Hyungwon's throat. "I thought I remembered telling you never to speak in my presence unless I gave you permission," Sungcheol said, a slight smile on his face to go with the sharpness of his voice. "It seems that a certain kitten needs to be reminded of the rules. I'll have to retrain you from the beginning."

Hyungwon shook in his grasp, small choking sounds coming out of him along with the tear streaming from his eyes. Sungcheol, with a look of disgust on his face, placed his other hand on Hyungwon's face, waiting for his hands to glow a dark purple before making a series of gestures that looked familiar to Hyungwon.

Then he formed several characters in the air, pushing them forward, and as they shattered, both Sungcheol and Hyungwon disappeared.


	17. Chapter 17

Jooheon and Changkyun had been planning their next move when they'd both felt it, a flare of magical power, almost as though it were taunting them.

"Changkyun, I think we should-"

"Already on it," Changkyun interrupted, snapping his fingers and drawing from his own reserve of magic to teleport both himself and Jooheon into the apartment. "Where is-"

The front door burst open and Taehyung stumbled in, his eyes wide and his hair all messed up.

"Taehyung?" Changkyun asked, distracted for a moment before he frowned, snapping his head to the left. "I can't sense Hyungwon's signature...Hyungwon? Wonnie?" he called, entering and exiting Hyungwon's bedroom before checking his own.

Jooheon didn't move, just stared at Taehyung, a dark look in his eyes.

Changkyun returned a few minutes later after having checked the whole house. "Nothing, he's not here," Changkyun said, worry clear in his furrowed brow. He turned to Jooheon. "Do you think that he had something to do with the surge?"

"He's gone," Taehyung said, his legs shaking. After the two had disappeared, he'd stared at the empty patch of grass before running back to the apartment, his steps uneven. He'd almost fallen several times, managing to catch himself for the majority, but he had still ended up with a scraped knee.

"What do you mean?" Changkyun asked, worrying at his lip. "Where is he? He wouldn't have gone out, he knows how dangerous-"

"I asked him to come outside," Taehyung mumbled, looking down.

The apartment was quiet.

"You what?"

"I asked him-"

"You did that once, and maybe that was an honest mistake, but you purposefully went out of our way to endanger Hyungwon?" Changkyun asked, his voice a low growl. "After all you've done."

"I didn't want to!" Taehyung denied, raising both hands to his head and driving his fingers into his skull, trying to amplify his physical pain to match the emotional. "I didn't have a choice! He said-"

"He? He who?" Changkyun asked, his voice going quiet as his eyes turned completely black.

Taehyung stared in horror, unable to move. "H-He was going to hurt Jungkook, I couldn't-"

"He. Who?" Changkyun asked again, his voice once more a growl as he began advancing towards Taehyung. That's when he saw the broken collar in Taehyung's hand, and his hands lit up, clothed in darkness.

"Seungcheol," Taehyung whispered. "He took Hyungwon with him."

Changkyun raised his chin before parting his lips to bare his teeth. "You led Hyungwon to Seungcheol?" he snarled. "You let that bastard take Hyungwon?" He swiped with his right hand toward Taehyung, who flinched, just as Jooheon interrupted.

"Don't touch him," he snapped in a steely tone, looking at Changkyun rather than Taehyung. "You know what will happen, Changkyun."

Changkyun just stood in front of Taehyung, clenching and unclenching his fingers.

"Calm down," Jooheon instructed, and Changkyun whirled on his friend.

"Calm down?  _Calm down?_ " The second time, his voice was layer with deeper, guttural tones, and the sound horrified Taehyung, filling him with dread.

"We will figure something out," Jooheon said before glaring at Changkyun. "You're not in your right mind."

Changkyun clenched his fists as though contemplating punching Jooheon before he stormed out of the room, going into Hyungwon's bedroom and slamming the door.

"Thank-" Taehyung began before Jooheon glared at him. His words died in his throat.

"You foolish human," Jooheon hissed, his eyes narrowed to slits. He no longer looked mortal. "You have no idea the damage you have caused."

"I know I-"

"You know  _nothing_."

Changkyun emerged from Hyungwon's bedroom, his eyes and hands returned to normal, although there was a tension in his body that he did not normally possess. He sat down on the couch, not bothering to look over at Taehyung as he addressed him.

"Seungcheol took Hyungwon?"

"Yes," Taehyung answered, wrapping his arms around himself. "He said if I didn't help, he would have-"

"I do not care," Changkyun interrupted coldly in a tone Taehyung had never heard from him before. "About what Seungcheol said to you. I do not care what threats he delivered. I do not care about why you betrayed someone who only ever trusted you completely." Changkyun swallowed, resting his bent elbows on his knees. "I care that Hyungwon is now in the hands of a witch other witches have nightmares of."

"I'm sorry, I just thought that Hyungwon-"

"You  _do not know_  Hyungwon!" Changkyun yelled, standing up abruptly and snapping his head to glare at Taehyung. "You speak as if two weeks have taught you anything! You do not know how long it took me to fix Hyungwon, how long it took me to reprogram the broken mess that he used to be.  _You do not know._  And yet you have the gall to speak of him as though-"

Jooheon cut Changkyun off by resting a hand on his shoulder before speaking his own piece. "You've made your standing with the witches quite clear. You don't want us involved in your world, and yet you're more than willing to interrupt and destroy ours."

Taehyung sank against the wall. "I didn't mean to," he whispered softly. "My friend was in danger. How could I just..."

"Hyungwon has had his share of pain," Changkyun said, looking away once more as though he couldn't stand to gaze at Taehyung. "I promised him- I promised him that he'd never have to go back." Changkyun clenched his fists, squeezing his eyes shut before turning back towards Taehyung. "Give it to me."

"What?"

Changkyun nodded toward the object in Taehyung's hands, and he hesitated before holding it out.

Changkyun walked closer and took the collar, being careful not to touch Taehyung's skin, as it disgusted him. He hesitated before fastening the choker around his wrist as a bracelet, tucking in the extra material. "I'll return this to you," he whispered, pressing the silver heart against his lips. "I promise."


	18. Chapter 18

"It's earlier than expected, but we're going to have to gather everyone," Changkyun said, one hand on his forehead.

"Are you sure?" Jooheon asked, a small crease between his eyebrows.

"What other choice do we have?" Changkyun asked, looking over at Jooheon before looking down in frustration at his own helplessness. "I'm not just going to abandon him." He paused before looking over at Taehyung, sighing as he let a hand fall over his eyes. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. I am angry at you, but I don't know that I'm entirely justified." He hesitated. "You are a human that I invited into our world. I should have realized there would be consequences. You have my apologies. We will not bother you any more. And...I'm sorry about your friend."

Taehyung swallowed. He would never be able to unsee Changkyun's eyes, fully dark as the starless night sky, or unhear the demonic layering of his voice. And yet...he wasn't scared of Changkyun. He had been in the moment, but it hadn't lingered, unlike his fear of Seungcheol. "I...I'm sorry. About Hyungwon. I really am."

Changkyun turned his head to the side, not yet ready to stomach Taehyung's apology. He'd asked Taehyung because he couldn't trust witches, and yet the human had betrayed him anyway. What a joke. "I know you mean well, but I can't just forgive you, not yet, not til he's back, safe in my arms," Changkyun said before looking over at Taehyung with sorrowful eyes. "I don't know that a human can understand the depth of our bond. I found Hyungwon a few hundred years ago and took him in. He was like a son to me then, still young, innocent despite the horrors he had witnessed and taken part in. And over the decades, he grew older, a little bit at a time. He became less a son to me and more like a younger brother." Changkyun's mouth twitched. "If you are lucky, you might know someone for your whole life, almost a century, but I've known Hyungwon for almost three times that, if not longer."

"He's just a little special to us," Jooheon said, putting an arm around Changkyun when he was unable to go on. "So I hope you can understand why we are upset." Jooheon, like Changkyun, had managed to calm down in the last few minutes and had ceased to terrify Taehyung.

"We're wasting time," Changkyun said after a moment, turning to Jooheon. "Are you ready to go?"

Just as Jooheon nodded, Taehyung stood up, supporting himself with the wall. "I- I want to come with."

"No," Changkyun answered immediately.

"It's for your own good," Jooheon added. "You're a human. You can't defend yourself. You have no source of energy. And if you're involved, your friends could once more become targets. You're not coming."

"Please," Taehyung said, hating the way he sounded like a whining toddler, but even if the two males in his presence looked to be around his age, he knew that they had already lived lifespans fuller than the one ahead of him. "Take me with you."

"I won't take you with simply to appease your guilt," Changkyun said, looking over at him with a hard glance.

"But please," Taehyung insisted. "It's my fault. I want Hyungwon to be safe just as much as you do."

Changkyun gave him a look that said he didn't quite buy it, but it was Jooheon who sighed, putting a hand on Taehyung's shoulder.

"Look, kid. We were wrong to involve you in the first place. You're not cut out for this. Now is your chance to cut and run, get it?"

"But I don't want to run, I want to help you rescue Hyungwon."

"With what power?" Jooheon asked. "How do you at all benefit our mission?"

Taehyung hesitated before looking down. "Hyungwon trusts me."

Changkyun's eyes darkened, and it took everything in him not to remind everyone how Hyungwon had trusted Taehyung straight into walking out of the house and into Seungcheol's waiting hands.

"So?" Jooheon asked, mercifully cutting the tense moment short. "He trusts Changkyun and me too. And to be blunt, I'm not too sure that he trusts you after you full-on betrayed him."

"But you are both witches," Taehyung argued. "I'm not. I'm human, like he used to be and still partially is. I think that meant something to him."

Changkyun stared at Taehyung for a long moment before inhaling and closing his eyes. "Fine. You can come with. But as soon as you start being a bother-"

"I won't."

"-or if you do anything to betray my trust or that of Hyungwon-"

"I won't."

"-then you're gone."

Taehyung nodded, accepting the terms.

"So, where to first?" Jooheon asked Changkyun, looking over casually as though they were discussing where to go for lunch.

"I have a witch in mind," Changkyun answered cryptically.

"Which witch?" Jooheon asked before grinning sheepishly. "Sorry, I've been waiting a while to-"

"And we're leaving," Changkyun said dryly before pulling both Taehyung and Jooheon towards himself, and a second later, the apartment was once more empty.


	19. Chapter 19

They were in the apartment one moment, and the next, they were in a small hut. Taehyung immediately bent over, feeling sick, but Jooheon and Changkyun appeared fine.

"Who-" Taehyung paused, focusing his energy on not throwing up. "Who are we supposed to be meeting?"

"A friend of mine," Changkyun said before revising. "I don't know if you would say friend. Acquaintance, maybe. He's a healer who travels around to small, uncivilized villages of humans and offers his powers in place of the advanced medical treatment that they don't have access to."

"He sounds nice," Taehyung said cautiously, expecting disagreement, but to his surprise, Changkyun just said, "He is."

A man entered the hut a few minutes later, and if he were surprised to see them, he didn't give any indication. Instead, he nodded respectfully to both Changkyun and Jooheon before looking over at Taehyung with curious eyes.

"A human," he commented before looking back at Changkyun, assuming (rightfully) him to be in charge. "Is he sick? Injured?"

"No, just annoying, but I don't think you can fix that," Changkyun said, and Taehyung glared at him (and quickly stopped glaring when he remembered A, how scary Changkyun could be and B, that he'd basically ruined all of their lives). "I'm here for a favor."

"Ooh," the man said, clapping his hands and grinning. "The mighty Im Changkyun needs my help. What an occasion this has become indeed."

Changkyun just sighed, massaging his forehead. "Yes, yes, it's very amusing, isn't it."

"Why is it amusing?" Taehyung asked, pushing his head forward.

The new witch looked over at him, seemingly entertained by the fact that Taehyung was brave enough to speak in their presence, or at least entertained enough to grant him an answer. "Because Changkyun is one of the most powerful witches alive," he said. "He was given a very special type of magic-"

"Enough," Changkyun cut off, giving the witch a warning glance. "This isn't about me."

"Then what is it about?"

Changkyun was quiet, and Taehyung took that as his difficulty to express the whole situation.

"So, Changkyun has this cat, only it isn't really a cat, it's actually this boy that was cursed a long time ago," Taehyung began, and the witch watched him with amused eyes. "Basically how it happened is that he was taken when he was eleven, which was a really long time ago because he only ages one day a month, and a lot of stuff happened after that and he was wandering around when Changkyun found him and took him in. Since then, he's been living in Changkyun's apartment, and one day a month, on  ** _Amavasya_** , he turns back into a human." Taehyung paused, trying to figure out what to say next, when the witch gave a small laugh before looking over at Changkyun.

"This is about Hyungwon?" he asked, his eyes bright. "You should have just said so, Changkyun."

Taehyung's jaw dropped before he shut it, his face flushing red out of embarrassment. "You already knew?"

The witch looked over at him, smiling apologetically. "Sorry. You were really into the story and I didn't want to interrupt...But in answer to your question, I've known about Hyungwon for a while. Ever since the camera was invented, Changkyun has been showing me photos of his precious little kitty. Isn't that right, Changkyun?"

Changkyun just crossed his arms, unruffled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you do!" the witch insisted, going over to a trunk and ruffling through it. "I've still got them around here somewhere. Here, look," he said, standing up straight and holding up a small stack of Polaroid photos, which Changkyun swiped out of his hands before Taehyung could see any of them. "Hey, give them back," the witch argued. "They're mine, fair and square."

Changkyun grumbled incomprehensibly before handing over the photos, not without glaring at the other.

The witch just laughed, taking the photos back and moving towards Taehyung, letting him see. "This one is from last year," the witch said, and Taehyung was surprised to see a picture of Hyungwon in his cat form, looking exactly the same as before. "And this one is from Changkyun's birthday one year," the witch continued, flipping to a photo of Hyungwon wearing a pointed birthday hat, his expression more than reluctant. "And this one is from a hundred years or so after Changkyun took him in."

The last photo caught Taehyung's attention the most. It was Hyungwon as an adolescent, his eyes shadowed and his frame unhealthily thin. He wasn't smiling; in fact, he looked like he'd never been taught how to. He couldn't have been older than fifteen, but his eyes were much older despite his frail body.

Taehyung's eyes jumped as the photo was whisked away before it was replaced with one of Hyungwon as a cat curled up in Changkyun's arms.

"I took that one," Jooheon said proudly, leaning over Taehyung's shoulder to see.

There were more of Changkyun and Hyungwon together, Taehyung saw as the witch quickly flipped through, photos of Hyungwon in both his cat and in his human form. One with Changkyun lying down on the ground, Hyungwon as a cat lying on his stomach. A recent photo with Hyungwon giving a small smile down at Changkyun and the three inch gap between their heights.

And then came Taehyung's favorite picture, one with Hyungwon resting his head on Changkyun's shoulder, a warm smile on his face as he looked down, whereas Changkyun was smiling too, only he was looking at Hyungwon.

"Stop," Changkyun said quietly, and the witch hesitated before nodding and putting the photos away.

"Why? What's wrong, Changkyun?" the witch asked. "How is Hyungwon doing, by the way?"

"He's missing," Changkyun said. "Or gone, to be more accurate."

The witch frowned. "What happened? He stays in your apartment, right?" The witch looked over to Jooheon. "Didn't you put up a barrier?"

"Of course," Jooheon said, indignant. "There was nothing wrong with the barrier."

"He left the apartment," Changkyun said, and Taehyung put his head down, grateful that Changkyun hadn't mentioned his name but feeling guilty nonetheless. "And Seungcheol took him."

The witch blanched, dropping his smile for the first time since entering the hut. "Seungcheol? Changkyun, that's not good. That's  _really_  not good."

"You don't think I don't know?" Changkyun snapped before taking a deep breath. "Sorry. I've been...a bit tense lately."

The witch just nodded, accepting the apology. "But Seungcheol? Maybe...Maybe it's better if you just stay out of this, Changkyun. You may be powerful, but between you and Seungcheol, I'm not sure who would win. Not to mention that he has his own coven, you know. You may be able to take him on, but not all of them."

Changkyun glared at him for the mere idea of abandoning Hyungwon. "I'm getting him back. That's why I'm here. I need my own coven."

The witch blinked, once, twice. "You? A coven?"

Changkyun raised his chin. "Yes," he said tersely. "It's necessary. I can't-" He exhaled through his teeth. "I can't take on Seungcheol's entire coven by myself," he admitted, and then, as if it pained him to his very core, he said, "I need you to join my coven."

The witch raised a brow uncertainly. "I assume Jooheon's part of it?"

Changkyun gave a single nod.

"Who else?"

"I'm working on that," Changkyun said before adding in a calmer voice, "You are the first I've visited."

The witch still seemed hesitant, shifting his balance to his other foot. "We've known each other for a long time, Changkyun, and I've always respected you and your power, but..."

"Please." Changkyun's voice was low, and the word came out slightly off as though his tongue weren't used to forming it. "Please," he tried again, his mouth still twisting in discomfort of the word. "He is all I have," he whispered.

The witch bit his lips before swallowing. "If I agree to join your coven, I will be made an enemy of our kind, will I not?"

"You will," Changkun acknowledged.

"And if we do not succeed, Seungcheol will destroy us both."

"He will," Changkyun said, but his eyes didn't waver.

Everyone in the hut held their breath, waiting for the witch's response.

"What the hell," the witch said, a shaky smile forming on his lips. "I'd like to see Hyungwon in person just once," he said, scratching the back of his neck.

Changkyun paled at the realization. "You'll join, then?"

The witched bobbed his head forward. "I have nothing to lose, and if I die, well, I figure I've lived long enough."

Changkyun released a long breath before nodding, his eyes closed as he sent up a brief prayer of thanks. He opened his eyes and nodded toward the witch. "You know the ritual, correct?"

The witch nodded, kneeling on the ground. His left hand lit up, and he traced his index finger along his wrist. A thin line of red appeared, blood soon swelling out of the cut as he raised his wrist out to Changkyun, who dipped two fingers in the blood before drawing a character on the back of his opposite hand. Then he repeated the process in reverse, only he remained standing as he created a small cut on his own wrist and traced the same symbol onto the other witch's forehead.

They waited until the symbols glowed, the first witch's in white and Changkyun's in black, before they disappeared along with the cuts on their wrists.

Changkyun extended a hand to the witch, helping him stand. "Shin Hoseok, I welcome you to my coven."

Hoseok gave a sheepish smile at the theatrics. "You know, it's usually custom to take me out on a date first."


	20. Chapter 20

"I'll ask you again," Seungcheol said. His voice was deceivingly light for the darkness it contained. "Who is your master?"

Hyungwon looked away. That way, if Seungcheol slapped him, his head had nowhere to go. "Changkyun."

It was a kick to the side this time. Since Hyungwon had been instructed to sit on his knees, he fell over, unable to brace himself with his hands bound behind him. His head hit the floor with a sickeningly hollow sound, and he closed his eyes, squeezing them tight in the hopes of forgetting the pain that echoed through his skull like the vibrations of a grotesque bell.

"How many times have we been through this?" Seungcheol growled, pulling Hyungwon back upright by his hand. "Changkyun doesn't exist. You belong to no one but me. The only orders you follow are mine."

"Why do you even need me?" Hyungwon asked in a small voice. He'd been wondering for a while.

He forgot to turn his head this time, and the subsequent slap snapped his head to the left, almost throwing him off balance, but he quickly adjusted with his knees, knowing that it would only be more painful if he hit the ground again.

"You do not speak unless I ask you a question," Seungcheol hissed. "I'll ask you again. Who is your master?"

"Changkyun."

Blood bubbled past Hyungwon's lips from the next blow.

***

The next witch they visited was different from Hoseok. He lived in isolation near the foot of a mountain range, and when Changkyun knocked on the door, he opened it and greeted them with a soft-spoken voice.

"I'm sorry," he said as he welcomed them inside. "I don't get many visitors. I'm afraid I can't offer you much in terms of hospitality."

"Don't trouble yourself," Changkyun said. "We won't be here for long anyway."

"What have you come for?" the witch asked, looking around at their strange party before looking back to Changkyun. "Word has reached me, even out here. Trouble is stirring up, is it not?" He paused. "Does your visit have anything at all to do with the upcoming  ** _nyayana_**?"

Changkyun nodded, his eyes dark and serious. "Hyunwoo, I have need of your help. I wouldn't ask if it were not urgent."

"You know I don't care about witch politics," Hyunwoo said, his eyes quiet and reflective as he looked at Changkyun, his head tilted. "But the things they say about you are all rather bad."

"Truth is a matter of relevancy," Changkyun returned, tilting his head in admission. "A friend to one is an enemy to another."

Hyunwoo nodded, remaining quiet as contemplated Changkyun's words, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but Taehyung believed that he sided with Changkyun if only because he hadn't said otherwise. "And you, Shin Hoseok," Hyunwoo said, looking over at the witch in question. "You side with Changkyun on this matter?"

"I do," Hoseok said. While he had been all mirth before, he was now solemn.

"You realize the position this puts you in?" Hyunwoo questioned.

"I do. The consequences are my own to receive. I've made my choice, and I'll stand by it."

Hyunwoo turned back to Changkyun, troubled. "What is worth the risk to you, Changkyun? You've remained invisible for the last hundred years or more. So why now?"

"Seungcheol has something of mine," Changkyun said. "It's imperative that I retrieve it."

Hyunwoo read Changkyun's eyes before his widened, but only slightly. "It's the boy you've been looking after, isn't it?"

Changkyun tensed but didn't reply.

"I've heard whispers over the years that you disappeared to raise a child. So they were true?"

"He isn't  _my_ child," Changkyun said after a moment. "I took him in and raised him. And now Seungcheol has taken him from me."

"You may perish before you get to see him again, if you're really planning on going against the head coven," Hyunwoo warned.

"If I am unable to save him, then my life isn't worth anything to anyone," Changkyun replied.

Hyunwoo nodded slowly. "So this is why you went out to seek a coven of your own, is it?"

Changkyun nodded, his hair falling in his eyes. "Yes. And I want you to join it."

Hyunwoo stared at Changkyun for a long time, his eyes shifting from left to right as he processed and decided. Finally, "All right. I will join you, for now."

Changkyun nodded. "Thank you," he said before repeating the ceremony he had done with Hoseok, swearing in Hyunwoo as a member of his coven.

Hyunwoo got up from his knees and nodded at Changkyun before turning to gaze at Taehyung. "You're a human, are you not?"

Taehyung nodded hesitantly. Witches still scared him a good deal, and it seemed that witches hanging out with other witches was far more formal than how Changkyun and Jooheon had been in their own apartment. "I am."

"Then why are you with them?"

"Hyungwon is my friend," Taehyung said after a moment, looking over at Changkyun for a second to catch the tension in his frame before looking back at Hyunwoo. "I want to help get him back."

Hyunwoo stared at him, and Hoseok put an arm around Taehyung's shoulders. "Taehyung, meet Son Hyunwoo. He specializes in psychological magic, mainly memory manipulation. He says he can't read minds, but I don't know if I trust that because he always seems to know what you're thinking."

"I'm just good at guessing," Hyunwoo protested lightly. "People are rather easy to read if you know how to listen."

Taehyung wondered exactly what Hyunwoo had read in Changkyun that had convinced him to join their ramshackle group. Taehyung himself had a hard time knowing what Changkyun was thinking, but as he watched the male gaze out the window with pained eyes at the lone mountain rising behind them, he thought he had a pretty good idea of who Changkyun was thinking of.


	21. Chapter 21

"Who are we visiting next?" Hoseok asked, looking to Changkyun, and Hyunwoo followed his gaze.

"Lee Minhyuk," Changkyun answered back, still staring out the window.

"Lee Minhyuk?" Hoseok echoed in confusion. "He's not a very powerful witch, though."

"Which is why I waited to visit him until I had you two and Jooheon with me for sure," Changkyun replied.

"But why him?" Hoseok asked.

"Because he wants to make use of Minhyuk's unique power," Hyunwoo said, watching Changkyun's body language to see if he'd confirm his guess, but Changkyun gave away nothing.

"Which is?" Hoseok asked. Since he traveled between remote villages, he was largely out of touch with the witch community. There wasn't an overwhelming number of witches, necessarily, but there were still far too many for him to keep track of.

"It's easier seen than explained," Changkyun answered after a moment, giving a final look towards the mountains before turning to the group. "Let's go." He hesitated before putting a hand on Taehyung's shoulder, and then they were teleporting again.

They ended up in whatever appeared to Taehyung to be a fairly normal apartment. Out the window, he could see city streets. Seoul, maybe, or another busy metropolis. The only reason he was able to enjoy the view at all was because his body had seemed to adjust to all the teleporting.

"Minhyuk's still trying to live as a human, is he," Jooheon commented quietly, looking around the room with indifferent eyes.

"It would seem so," Hyunwoo answered just as the door opened.

"Who's in my-" The voice cut off as a man entered the now-cramped bedroom. Fear flitted across his face once he took in the four faces he knew, but Changkyun stepped forward before he could flee.

"We're here because we need your help," Changkyun said before correcting, "I need your help."

Minhyuk bit his lower lip uncertainly, eyes jumping from face to face before hesitating on Taehyung's. Then his eyes jumped back to Changkyun. "Why? With what?" He sank a little in his posture. "I'm trying to live a normal life here and-"

"I'm sorry," Changykun cut off. "I really am. I wouldn't have come if it weren't important."

"Shin Hoseok, the healer," Minhyuk recited softly. "Son Hyunwoo, the manipulator. Lee Jooheon, the protector. And you. Im Changkyun." His face grew paler, if that was possible. "What are four of the most powerful witches doing in my apartment?"

"I thought you said you were weak," Taehyung whispered to Jooheon, who just winked.

"Relatively speaking, compared to Changkyun."

"It seems that Seungcheol and I can no longer coexist peacefully," Changkyun said to Minhyuk, his eyes darkening at the name before the black wave receded and his eyes returned to normal. "So I have created a coven of my own."

"And?" Minhyuk asked, his voice shaking.

"And I want you in it," Changkyun said.

Minhyuk shook his head, slowly at first but then more aggressively. "I told you, I'm trying to live a normal-"

"So was I," Changkyun interrupted, a slight growl in his voice. "I thought that if I stayed to myself, if I didn't interact with others, that I would be left alone. For the past hundred years, I have tried to forsake my origins and focus on other things instead. But Seungcheol has destroyed my normal. He can destroy yours, too."

"He wouldn't," Minhyuk denied weakly, leaning back on the wall. "I'm nobody. Why would he bother with me?"

"Because he will have heard that I paid you a visit," Changkyun answered unapologetically. "And if you do not join my coven, you will have no protection against him. The normal that you have created for yourself will turn to ash only to be ripped away by the wind."

Minhyuk stared at Changkyun in horror. "By coming here, you've already ruined it. But you knew that, didn't you?"

"I knew that you were a coward," Changkyun answered, his face cold. "I knew that there was no chance that you would join me unless you had no other option." He paused, and his cold exterior melted a bit as his vulnerability showed. "My humanity, my empathy, my compassion - all of that has been stolen along with that which Sungcheol has taken from me. I will resort to crueler methods yet to fulfill my mission. Once I have succeeded, you can hate me. You can curse my name then, but please, for now, join me."

Minhyuk gaze over at Changkyun with pain obscuring his eyes. "You would ruin my life simply so that you could fix yours? Your selfishness knows no bounds, does it not?"

"It does not," Changkyun said, looking down.

Minhyuk laughed sharply. "Even you would not want to help yourself."

"What is it you want?" Changkyun asked, looking up. "Do you want me to beg?" Eyes locked on Minhyuk's alone, Changkyun slowly got down on his knees before bowing his head, his palms flat on the ground. "Please. Lend me your strength."

Minhyuk recoiled, clearly uncomfortable with the sight, but Changkyun was not finished.

"All that I have ever loved has been taken from me. I cannot go forward alone. I would not ask this of you if there were anyone else who could do what you can. Please, Lee Minhyuk. Help me now, and I will forever be in your debt."

"Get up," Minhyuk said, swallowing and looking away. "Please, stand."

Changkyun rose to his feet, ignoring the shocked faces of his companions. "Will you help me?"

"I don't have much choice," Minhyuk said before looking over at Changkyun. "You are not a witch meant for kneeling. Just what is it that you beg for? What could Sungcheol have possibly taken from you that would lower you to this point?"

Changkyun ignored the question. "Will you join my coven?"

"I said I would," Minhyuk said. "Now tell me what he has taken."

"My soul," Changkyun said softly. "Someone who is my everything, who I would protect with my life, for whom I would become a monster, if only I could get him back."

Minhyuk's eyes widened slightly, his eyes flitting to the others before looking back at Changkyun. "You don't associate with other witches. A human?"

"A cursed one," Jooheon said, stepping forward but remaining behind Changkyun, respecting his leadership.

Minhyuk looked over to Changkyun with curious but reluctant eyes. "But I thought...don't most witches hate humans? Or at the very least, disregard them?"

"You chose to live alongside them," Changkyun answered in a low voice. "Why can't I choose the same?"

"Because you're...your power is..."

"Hyungwon chose to accept me, despite what I am." Changkyun fell into silence. There were some witches who didn't accept his existence. They said he was an abomination. An unholy mistake. That he'd wrongly been granted a power that no one should possess.

And yet. The small boy with dark eyes and the quietest voice he'd ever heard had accepted him. Had trusted him, maybe because there had been no one else for him to trust, maybe because Changkyun had been the first in a long time to show him basic kindness.

Maybe simply because Changkyun had known what he was.

"You should have started with that," Minhyuk said, crossing his arms as the tension left the air. "I quite like humans, you know. That's what happens when you actually take the time and get to know them."

"So you'll help us?" Jooheon asked, unimpressed. He didn't have anything against humans. He was okay with them, certain ones more than others. But he didn't have to act all high and mighty about it, unlike Minhyuk.

"Yes," Minhyuk said, his voice firm. "Humans are not the enemy. Nor are they objects for witches to use, toys for them to play with and break as they please."

Changkyun winced at the thought of Hyungwon as a toy, being thrown away after he'd ceased to entertain. "Kneel," he commanded, gesturing for Minhyuk to get on with the ceremony. As with before, Changkyun traced the character on his hand with Minhyuk's blood before drawing the symbol on Minhyuk's forehead with his own. As with before, his hand remained normal, absent of magic.

"So, just how cursed is this human?" Minhyuk asked as he got up, appearing to not care about the significance of the ceremony. "If I'm going to have to do what I think you're going to ask me to do, I want to know what to expect up front."

"He's-" Taehyung went to answer, swallowing as all the witches turned to look at him but continuing with an encouraging smile from Minhyuk. "He's only a human on  ** _Amavasya_**. Otherwise, he's a cat. Sungcheol cursed him a long time ago."

"He's a kitty-cat?" Minhyuk asked in awe, looking over at Changkyun. "I've always wanted a cat! I was actually thinking about getting one because my apartment has always been a little too quiet but-"

"He's not a pet," Changkyun said, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"He basically is," Taehyung contradicted, earning a glare (which he ignored, although goosebumps slowly manifested on his arms anyway). "Um, M-Minhyuk-"

"Uh huh?" Minhyuk responded, grinning. "You're a human, right? What's your name?"

"I'm- uh, I'm Taehyung," he answered before taking a deep breath. "What exactly...what is your power?"

Minhyuk's eyes brightened as he gave a smile that seemed to brighten the entire room. "I call it Mirror. And if I'm reading Changkyun's intentions correctly, then you should be getting a firsthand demonstration."


	22. Chapter 22

"Can you..." Changkyun swallowed, gesturing vaguely to Minhyuk.

Minhyuk nodded, crossing the room and sitting on his bed, crossing his legs as he held out a hand to Changkyun. "I'll need something of his."

"Right," Changkyun said, startling as he ruffled through his pockets before hesitantly producing Hyungwon's collar. His fingers curled around it before he took a deep breath and placed it in Minhyuk's waiting hand. "Be careful with it," he instructed automatically, his face tightening as he tried not to let his emotion get to him.

Minhyuk just nodded, turning the collar over gingerly and reading the tag with gentle eyes before looking up at Changkyun and nodding. "All right, I'm ready."

Changkyun have a terse nod, taking several steps back to give Minhyuk space.

Taehyung and the others watched as Minhyuk closed his eyes, his hands glowing a warm yellow as he traced several characters in the air before picking up the collar. The yellow light spread to the collar, enveloping it, and then the light began to fade, first from the collar and then from Minhyuk's hands.

When he opened his eyes, they were yellow. 

His body started to shake involuntarily, and his spine caved in a bit as his frame lost its confidence. His head abruptly snapped to the left, and he gasped, mouth opening before he closed it, biting his lip. His shoulders hunched as his lower lip wobbled, but his eyes remained open, still illuminated by the strange yellow light.

"No," he whispered, his voice desperate, hoping, questioning, beseeching.

His head snapped to the right several moments later as he flinched, his shoulders hunching up once more in a feeble attempt to protect himself. He closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly. "No. No, no, no-"

Changkyun looked on with tortured eyes as Minhyuk's body convulsed in agony.

From Minhyuk's shut eyelids crept silent tears, and that was what finally broke Changkyun.

"Hyungwon," he said, lunging forward and grabbing Minhyuk by the shoulders, shaking him. "Hyungwon! Please! I'm here! Please, stop, I'm begging you-"

The golden light faded and Minhyuk opened his eyes, looked up at Changkyun sadly.

Changkyun's fingers dug into his shoulders. "Bring him back," Changkyun commanded, his voice steel in contrast with his wet eyes. "Bring him back right now."

"I can't," Minhyuk said, shrinking back. "I can't sustain it for long. And you broke the connection when you made contact with me. I won't be able to try again for at least a day."

Changkyun let go of Minhyuk, stepping back, and he put his hands in his pockets to keep them from shaking or unjustly punching anyone. Pain and anger could be easily mistaken for one another, and he couldn't differentiate between the two at the moment.

"That was Hyungwon?" Taehyung asked, looking to Minhyuk, who returned his gaze with a sad smile.

"Not exactly," Minhyuk said, running a hand through his hair. His hand was also shaking. "My ability lets me mirror the physical condition of someone else. I can't hear what they're hearing or think what they're thinking, just mirror the physical components. It's like making a copy."

"Did he see us?" Taehyung asked, biting his lip. He felt indescribably nervous at the thought of Hyungwon seeing him after what he'd done. He hadn't done enough yet to make up for his past actions. He wasn't ready to face Hyungwon yet.

He sighed in relief as Minhyuk shook his head. "He will have no knowledge that it ever happened. That's why it's kind of like a two-way mirror. I can see him in a sense, but he can't see me or any of you."

"He's alive," Changkyun said, the only consolation he could pull out of the session.

"Undoubtedly," Minhyuk confirmed. "But why did Seungcheol even want him? Seungcheol doesn't care about humans, and he probably has his own familiar or conduit. So why did he bother to piss you off to get to him?"

Changkyun's face darkened, but instead of answering Minhyuk's question, he stormed out of the room, leaving Jooheon to throw Taehyung a worried look before following after him.

***

"Changkyun," Seungcheol repeated, smacking Hyungwon, and he felt his head snap to the left.

In some desensitized part of his brain, he was amazed that his face still had feeling, that it could still feel pain. He'd been kneeling for hours or maybe days or years. He'd never had a good estimate of time. A different part of his brain wanted to respond to the name, but he knew that he wasn't supposed to talk unless Sungcheol wanted him to talk, so he kept quiet.

"He knows where you are," Seungcheol whispered. "He's the most powerful witch there is. If he wanted to, he could teleport here right this very instant and reclaim you. If he wanted to. But he doesn't want to, because he doesn't care about you."

"No," Hyungwon whispered, forgetting about the rule, and he hunched his shoulders up, wincing preemptively, but Seungcheol was merciful enough to let his mistake slide.

"He never cared about you," Seungcheol continued. "He just wanted to use your power. He's done it before, right? Used you as a conduit for his magic? Im Changkyun."

Another slap, and Hyungwon felt his eyes start to water from the pain. Why wasn't Changkyun coming for him? Why wasn't Changkyun saving him?

"You think he would have taken you off the streets if you had been useless to him?" Seungcheol laughed, a dark, ugly sound that always seemed to be refracting somewhere in the depths of Hyungwon's crumbling mind. "You think he would have given you food, clothing, and pretty things if you didn't have anything to offer him?"

Hyungwon tried to physically shrink away from Seungcheol's words, contracting his muscles and drawing his body in closer together. He felt his bones scraping against one another. There wasn't much skin left to stop them. Changkyun could have found him by now, surely. Hyungwon wouldn't have to endure the pain if Changkyun had just come to save him. Maybe Changkyun wanted Hyungwon to suffer?

"He doesn't want you anymore," Seungcheol said, his voice soft, gentle. Kind. "You're too much trouble for him. But it's okay. You're not that special, not to him. He'll just find somebody else. Maybe not somebody as pretty as you are," Seungcheol paused, setting a hand down lightly on top of Hyungwon's head and running one finger through Hyungwon's soft locks, curling several strands around his finger. Hyungwon hadn't realized how much he'd missed kind touches, gestures of care and not pain. But Seungcheol was being kind to him. Magic had been cast to hold Hyungwon in his human form, and Seungcheol must have realized how much Hyungwon missed being pet. "But that's okay. You were just a toy to Changkyun, a pretty little toy, a tool for him to use. But he can always get another toy, a new toy. Because the first toy didn't matter all that much to him anyway. Maybe he's been wanting a new toy for a while."

"No. No, no, no-" Hyungwon whispered, and if his hands weren't tied behind his back, he would be pulling at his hair, yanking at the ends, digging his fingers into his skull. Seungcheol wasn't kind. Or was he? Who had been kind to him? Seungcheol, or Changkyun? But Changkyun was the cause of his pain. Seungcheol had kindly explained to Hyungwon that he wouldn't have to hit Hyungwon if it weren't for Changkyun. It was Changkyun's fault, really. It was just too bad that Hyungwon had to pay for it.

Hyungwon shut his eyes, trying to bring up an image of Changkyun in his mind, but he couldn't focus. The face was blurry, the expression unreadable. Had Changkyun ever cared about him? Or was Seungcheol right? Was Hyungwon just a tool? A toy? Was that all he had ever been? "I'm not...I'm not a toy," he whispered uncertainly, and it was only then that he felt tears leaking down his face.

"It's okay," Seungcheol whispered, bringing his hand down from the crown of Hyungwon's head to below his chin, trailing his fingers up Hyungwon's throat with gentle movements before caressing his cheek. His fingers were warm against the coldness of Hyungwon's tear-coated skin. "Because you're my toy now, and I don't want any other toy. I only want you. I won't replace you. I won't throw you away. Not like Changkyun."

"I don't want to be thrown away," Hyungwon echoed, his shoulders shaking as his tears grew in intensity. Years of darkness flashed through his mind, horrible times in his long-distant past. Doors slammed in his face. Dark alleyways. Rain, with nowhere to go. A world with no place to call home. Shadows, swallowing him up, spitting him out. "Please don't throw me away."

"I won't," Seungcheol promised, using his right index finger to catch one of Hyungwon's tears before holding it up to his mouth and dropping it on his tongue. His tilted his head as he tasted the salty flavor of human sadness, and he allowed a smile to come over his lips. "Changkyun-" He grinned as he watched Hyungwon involuntarily react to the name, flinching just as Seungcheol had conditioned him to. "-lied to you from the beginning. I won't lie to you, Hyungwon. I want to use your power."

He put a hand out, smoothing his fingers over Hyungwon's forehead, and Hyungwon automatically leaned into his hand, trusting it, trusting him, trusting his promises and whispers. "Do you want me to use you?"

Hyungwon's face contorted as his emotions fought with the conditioning Seungcheol had been carefully ingraining. "I-"

Seungcheol pulled his hand away from Hyungwon, delighting in the pain that flitted across Hyungwon's face at the absence of his touch. "You are a tool, Hyungwon. I don't have to use you. I can throw you away if I want."

"Please," Hyungwon begged through his tears, dropping his head so his chin rested on his chest. "Please, don't get rid of me."

Seungcheol placed his hand on the nape of Hyungwon's neck, squeezing gently. As he'd expected, Hyungwon grew still, his muscles relaxing as he hung limply from Seungcheol's grip, his feline instincts instructing him to grow passive, to place complete trust in his master. Seungcheol knew that he could snap Hyungwon's neck in a moment without moving a muscle, but he restrained himself. The pleasure he could reap today would be nothing compared to what he would yield with Hyungwon as his compliant tool, docile to his every command. He'd made mistakes last time, scared the boy, instilled fear and hatred in him which had driven the boy far away. This time, he would direct the fear and hatred toward a different source. He would teach Hyungwon to love him, to fear him but wait desperately for his next command, to long to be of use to him. After all, Hyungwon would be unable to leave him if he became completely and utterly dependent on him.

Seungcheol eagerly awaited the day he would destroy Changkyun by letting him see his broken toy come crawling back to Seungcheol's feet, craving Seungcheol's attention, even if it destroyed him.

"Do you want me to use you?" Seungcheol repeated, his voice soft so Hyungwon would have to listen closely. He rubbed his thumb over the top vertebrae in Hyungwon's spine, tracing the same circle over and over again.

Hyungwon shivered. "Yes," he whispered, his voice rough. "Please."

Seungcheol stepped back, ignoring the whimper that came from Hyungwon as he once again broke the contact between them. Seungcheol ran his tongue along his bottom lip, deciding it was time for a test. With a snap of his fingers, the magical energy binding Hyungwon's hands behind his back disappeared.

Hyungwon didn't move from his position, his arms remaining in their position as he remained on his knees, waiting.

"Get up," Seungcheol commanded.

Hyungwon stood and turned to face Seungcheol.

"I didn't say turn around," Seungcheol said, and Hyungwon's eyes clouded with self-loathing at his own failure as he moved to turn back, but Seungcheol held up a hand, stilling Hyungwon. "It's all right," Seungcheol said. "I will forgive you this time," he said, smiling at his new toy. "But you have to do as I say from now on. If you can't listen to me, then I'll have to throw you away."

Hyungwon's eyes welled with tears, but he didn't speak.

"I don't want to throw you away," Seungcheol reassured, trailing a finger along Hyungwon's face but leaving an inch of space between his skin and Hyungwon's. Another test, successful, as he observed Hyungwon straining, his muscles clenching as he forced himself not to move and close the gap between them. As a reward, he placed his finger on Hyungwon's lips, moving his finger down and pulling Hyungwon's bottom lip down with it, exposing his perfectly aligned teeth. Hyungwon didn't resist, remaining flexible in his hands, clay willing and wanting to be sculpted. "Good kitty," Seungcheol praised, and Hyungwon trembled slightly, trying to restrain himself, but Seungcheol smiled.

He was proud of himself.

After all these years, he finally held the key to shattering Changkyun.


	23. Chapter 23

Changkyun returned to the bedroom half an hour later, Jooheon following closely behind. Changkyun's face was closed-off, but Jooheon watched him closely, worry lining his brows, and not just for Hyungwon.

"There's one more witch we need," Changkyun announced.

"Just one more?" Hoseok asked, frowning lightly. "That makes, what, six total? Seven if you count Taehyung who is - sorry Taehyung - a powerless vulnerability? Against thirteen?"

"This one witch may make all the difference," Changkyun answered stoically. "Which is why it's absolutely paramount that we get him to join us."

"Who is it?" Hoseok asked.

***

"Yoo Kihyun," Hoseok said in distaste, his lip curling at the sight of the witch. "Of course it would be you. What a joke." He looked over to Changkyun with pleading eyes. "We can't get anyone else?"

"Nobody else has his power," Changkyun answered calmly, keeping eye contact with Kihyun, who was grinning as though he'd just been offered a human soul to eat.

"What exactly is Im Changkyun and his band of misfit toys doing in my humble abode?" Kihyun purred, batting his eyelashes.

"I need your help," Changkyun replied, and Kihyun's eyes widened dramatically.

"Say that again," he commanded, a sly smirk on his face.

"I need your help," Changkyun repeated, resisting the urge to grit his teeth. He knew how Kihyun worked from centuries of butting heads with him. While Hoseok seemed to be driven by goodwill and Minhyuk by compassion, Yoo Kihyun was driven purely by entertainment. There was nothing funnier to him than watching other witches lose their cool. In doing so, they revealed their inferiority, which only aggravated the superiority complex Kihyun carried with him.

"What could  _I_ , Yoo Kihyun, have that  _you_ , Im Changkyun, could possibly want?" Kihyun asked, tilting his head.

"Your power," Changkyun replied steadily. "I have use of it."

"For what purpose?" Kihyun set a finger on his chin, pretending to look disappointed. "You know that boring answers won't work on me."

"Because I'm going to be going against the head coven, and I need your power to balance out the odds."

Kihyun was stunned for a moment before he began laughing without restraint. "Go against the head coven? You?" He cackled once more, but his eyes were calculating as they ran over each of the faces before him. "You certainly have some interesting schemes, Changkyun. When I heard that you of all people were assembling a coven, I thought it was but laughable gossip. But it turns out that you're rather serious indeed, aren't you?"

"Imagine how bored you'd be if you were left out," Changkyun replied dryly, and Kihyun's face twitched, just slightly.

"Maybe I'll go straight to the head coven," Kihyun taunted, resting his chin on his palm. "Tell them about your little plan. Maybe join their side instead."

"That wouldn't be very entertaining at all," Changkyun guaranteed. "They've been in power for hundreds of years. Don't you want to shake things up a bit?"

"Hmm," Kihyun mused, tapping his chin. "The idea is intriguing, but what's to stop me from ratting you out? That would shake things up, too."

"For a day, a month, a year, maybe," Changkyun said, gesturing vaguely. "But then what? I'll be dead by then, likely. And then everything will go back to exactly how it was before, only the world will be a good deal more boring without me in it. Who will relieve your boredom then?"

Kihyun exhaled, pouting as he crossed his arms. "You make a good point. I don't really care either way, but it wouldn't hurt to tag along for a bit. But." He held out a hand. "If it looks like you're going to lose, then I'm cutting and running. I won't go down with you. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Changkyun said, not in the least bit bothered nor surprised by Kihyun's behavior. "I'm looking for cheap loyalty. I don't expect to get much more than that."

He gestured for Kihyun to kneel and they quickly performed the ceremony, Kihyun watching with intrigue and keeping his sharp mouth shut for once.

Once they finished, Kihyun stood up and took closer stock of the group, his eyes coming to rest on Taehyung, a predatory glint in their depths.

Taehyung shivered, stepping closer to Minhyuk.

"And who's this?" Kihyun asked, a small smirk gracing his lips. "I thought I sensed a human, but I had assumed that it was just lingering scent from Minhyuk's tainted aura."

Minhyuk frowned, crossing his arms as he resisted speaking back, agreeing to let Changkyun handle it.

"A human," Changkyun acknowledged. "One you need not concern yourself with."

"I heard you were keeping a human as a pet," Kihyun continued, tilting his head as he studied Taehyung. "This is him, then? How odd of you, Changkyun. I don't much see the appeal."

"He's none of your concern," Changkyun repeated, his tone darker this time. A warning. "You may have joined us for fun, but this is not a game to me. If you interfere with my plans or directly go against me or any of those in my care, there will be consequences."

Kihyun smiled sharply at Taehyung before looking over at Changkyun with innocent eyes. "I'd never."

"Touch the human and you die," Changkyun said, and Kihyun just chuckled.

"Someone's getting rather unfriendly," Kihyun said, grinning before looking back at Taehyung. "That's interesting, though. I heard that your little pet had an interesting curse, and yet this human appears to be normal. And he lacks magical energy." Kihyun looked over at Changkyun to watch the effect of his words. "Have you been keeping a whole house of humans? Different ones to match your outfits?"

Changkyun said nothing.

"Well, if this one isn't your pet, then where is it?" Kihyun asked, and Changkyun slammed his fist against the wall, baring his teeth at Kihyun.

"Enough. Gather what you need. We leave soon," he growled before leaving the room.

"Fiesty, fiesty," Kihyun murmured, but a grin split his face as he looked over at Hyunwoo. "He got you too, huh? What has the mighty Im Changkyun so shaken that he wants to shake the foundations of our world?"

"I understand that you don't have any interest or investment in this," Hyunwoo said slowly, his voice soft and thoughtful. "But some of us do. Please consider that, if there's any part of you at all that perceives us as friends."

"Witches don't have friends," Kihyun snapped, the amusement in his eyes gone as the grin disappeared.

"Maybe that's something else that needs to change," Hyunwoo replied.

"How can it?" Kihyun asked. "People like Changkyun and me can't have relationships. We can no more belong to another than they can belong to us."

"Changkyun changed his way of thinking," Hyunwoo said before placing a hand on Kihyun's shoulder. He dropped it when Kihyun flinched. "Maybe you can, too."

He turned, giving Kihyun a final nod before following the others.

Kihyun, left alone, gave a bitter chuckle. "Friends?" he asked the empty room before shaking his head. "What does that even mean?"


	24. Chapter 24

Jeonghan looked at the boy with distaste. "Why do we need him again? Humans smell funny, I don't like it."

The three of them were in the council room for Seungcheol's coven. A small throne had been constructed in the middle, with six chairs on either side. Seungcheol was sitting in his proper place as the head of the coven, while Jeonghan lingered in the middle of the room.

Hyungwon was currently kneeling in front of Seungcheol's throne, remaining as still and possible because that was what Seungcheol had told him to do. He wore a new collar around his neck, this one illuminated with a dark purple color, as it had been crafted from Seungcheol's magic. While worn, it held Hyungwon in his human form. Seungcheol had also modified the curse, examining his previous work before editing certain sections so that Hyungwon retained his feline ears and tail while in his human form. He didn't have a reason yet as for why he'd done so other than for his own amusement and curiosity, and that maybe it would bring out his feline instincts. Animals were far easier to manipulate than humans, after all.

Strangely, it didn't look bad on the boy.

"Because I said so. Is that not sufficient reason for you?" Seungcheol asked sharply, and Jeonghan looked off to the side, not bold enough to question Seungcheol's judgement. "Besides," Seungcheol said, setting his hand down on Hyungwon's head, and Hyungwon stilled. "I've always liked collecting pretty things."

"Maybe so," Jeonghan agreed. "But that didn't involve stealing from the most powerful witch alive."

"He stole from me first," Seungcheol said offhandedly, furling and unfurling his fingers atop Hyungwon's head, his fingertips passing through the silky strands. The boy rumbled softly as his feline instincts prompted him to purr. Seungcheol pulled his hand back, smirking as a small whine escaped Hyungwon's lips before he fell silent. With each small touch, he was conditioning Hyungwon to trust him, to desire his care, and when he broke away, he left Hyungwon with a painful ache for more contact.

"Aren't you afraid that he's working for Changkyun?" Jeonghan asked tensely, and Hyungwon flinched at the name.

Seungcheol smiled at the reaction before addressing Jeonghan. "No. Chankgyun threw him away, after all," he said, taking pleasure in Hyungwon's second flinch as he sank down a bit further onto his knees. "And apparently, he doesn't want his kitten back anyway."

Hyungwon's head fell slightly.

"But that's okay. I've been taking good care of the kitten," Seungcheol said. "And because he's a good kitten, he makes sure to do exactly as I tell him." His words were a little darker at the end, and Hyungwon straightened his back, looking directly forward.

Jeonghan just frowned, looking at Hyungwon with skepticism in his eyes.

"Would you like a demonstration?" Seungcheol asked, his voice saccharine as he looked at Jeonghan, who merely nodded, his lips forming a frown. "Kitten, do you remember what I told you?" Seungcheol asked, leaning down so his lips were close to Hyungwon's ear.

Hyungwon shivered at the closeness before nodding, keeping his mouth closed.

"What did I tell you?" Seungcheol asked. "Speak."

Hyungwon licked his lips before answering in a quiet voice rough from disuse. "To stay still and keep quiet."

"Let's see how well you can obey," Seungcheol replied, sitting up straight as he channeled his magical power solely into the fingertip of his index finger. The power condensed, forming a small purple flame, which Seungcheol touched lightly to the upper edge of Hyungwon's left ear.

Hyungwon immediately tensed, his body shaking with unimaginable pain, and he bit down hard on his bottom lip, closing his eyes as they began to tear up. Even though only his ear was being affected, his entire body burned, wave after wave of pure agony coursing from his head downward. Even his knees, which had gone numb, burst back into feeling as pain ignited every muscle and joint in his body.

But he didn't move, and he didn't make a sound.

Seungcheol, flame still pressed to Hyungwon's ear, looked over at Jeonghan with a bored expression, his eyes asking  _Is this satisfactory for you?_

"Fine," Jeonghan said with a sigh, looking away. He didn't feel anything but disgust for the human, but he wasn't particularly a fan of unnecessary violence, and it was difficult for him to watch Seungcheol harm a creature who was unable to fight back.

Seungcheol smiled and extinguished his magical flame, pulling his hand back from Hyungwon's ear. Where his finger had been now lay a patch of burnt fur, and Hyungwon's ear continued twitching, unable to cope with the physical damage.

"Stand up and face me," Seungcheol commanded, and Hyungwon stumbled to his feet, favoring one knee as he turned to face his master, forcing his eyes open. "Look what you're done," Seungcheol said softly, exhaling in disappointment as he harshly wiped away the remaining tears on Hyungwon's face before examining his bloody lip.

Seungcheol stared at the droplets of blood, mesmerized for a moment before an idea popped into his head. He pulled a small vial out of his pocket and removed the cap, holding it up to Hyungwon's lips and letting the blood drip into the vial. He collected several drops before pulling it back and closing it securely.

"What are you going to do with that?" Jeonghan asked, eyeing the pocket Seungcheol had slipped the vial of blood into.

"I think I will write a love letter," Seungcheol said with a small smirk as he stood up, heading towards his private chambers.

Hyungwon remained where he stood, unable to leave without the proper command, but Seungcheol had already left the room.

Jeonghan paused, staring at Hyungwon's body, frozen in place but still trembling from pain. Then he looked away and left the room.


	25. Chapter 25

The letter came in the morning. They all stood around the kitchen table of Kihyun's small but neat home, staring at it.

"It's from him," Jooheon said, looking at Changkyun.

"Well? Open it," Kihyun commanded, staring at the letter with undisguised interest.

Jooheon ignored Kihyun, remaining focused on Changkyun's face, waiting until he saw a slight nod before he moved toward the letter and opened it.

Changkyun's eyes immediately filled with pure black as his face clenched in rage at a familiar scent.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you all on  ** _nyayana_** ," Jooheon read aloud. "Don't forget that the consequences for your actions, should you choose to take them, will befall another in your place." Jooheon paused. "Signed,  _Yours truly, Seungcheol._ " Jooheon looked up at Changkyun with anxious eyes. "It's signed in blood, but we can't know for sure that it's-"

"It's Hyungwon's," Changkyun said tersely, his fists shaking in rage. "It's a taunt. He wants to upset me."

"And he looks to have succeeded," Kihyun observed playfully. "Hyungwon is your missing pet, I take it?"

"What did he mean?" Taehyung interrupted, looking over at Jooheon. "About the consequences."

"He means that if we do anything against him, he'll hurt Hyungwon instead," Wonho explained gently, his eyes sincere in their sadness. "He's implying that if Hyungwon is hurt, it's our fault."

"Oh." Taehyung paused, looking at the letter in Jooheon's hands and at the blood signature. "But Hyungwon has already been hurt."

"Seungcheol will likely harm Hyungwon regardless," Wonho said. "He just wants to guilt us into inaction."

"He won't..." Taehyung paused to swallow. "He won't...kill Hyungwon, right?"

"No," Hyunwoo spoke up softly. "Then he'll lose his leverage. Besides, judging from the letter, he plans to involve Hyungwon in  ** _nyayana_**  again, somehow. Another taunt at Changkyun."

Changkyun tensed. "I could just go there right now and-"

"No," Jooheon cut off sharply, his tone the coldest Taehyung had heard since the day Hyungwon had been taken. "If you take action alone, you will be hunted down, unable to rest until you are destroyed. Even if you save Hyungwon, what then? Do you want him to live like that, in constant fear?"

Chankgyun clenched and unclenched his fists, grappling with his inner demons before the black disappeared from his eyes with a sigh. "No," he said, his voice rough and low, and Taehyung saw for the first time how exhausted Changkyun was, how defeated he looked.

"It may be best to wait for  ** _nyayana_** ," Wonho suggested after a moment. "That will be our best chance to recover him and slip out in the chaos."

"That's two weeks away," Taehyung protested, looking between Wonho and Changkyun, trying to prompt Changkyun into siding with him. "Hyungwon has already been gone for...how long exactly?"

"About a week," Changkyun muttered.

"And you're okay with waiting two more weeks?" Taehyung asked, and he knew he'd overstepped when Changkyun's dark eyes snapped up to meet his.

" _Okay with?_  I am  _okay_  with exactly none of this," he replied, snarling at Taehyung, who paled. "Not the fact that he's gone, not the fact that you offered him up, not the fact that he is suffering beyond my reach. Do not presume to understand my feelings and intentions."

Jooheon shifted, putting a hand on Changkyun's shoulder to calm him down, squeezing gently before looking over at Taehyung. "It's hard for us to wait instead of going right now, but the timing just isn't right. If we want to be successful, then we have to be patient. I know it's difficult, but it's all we can do."

Taehyung's mouth dropped open as he began to protest once more, but Kihyun cut him a sharp glance in Jooheon's stead.

"You're welcome to head off on your own if you think you know what's best, little human," Kihyun said.

Taehyung bit his bottom lip. "But-"

"But you're powerless, you don't know where to go, and you lack the ability to protect Changkyun's pet," Kihyun immediately rebutted. "Exactly. So be quiet and let the adults do the planning."

Taehyung frowned, but he couldn't deny Kihyun's words. He was useless. Changkyun had been correct when he'd identified Taehyung's motivation as guilt. But guilt didn't translate into power or usefulness. Just what did Taehyung think he could do by coming with?

"We wait for  ** _nyayana_** ," Changkyun agreed after a moment. "Hyungwon will just have to be okay until then."

"What do you think Seungcheol is planning for the event?" Hyunwoo asked, his soft voice managing to carry over the others.

"I don't know," Changkyun admitted, his head sinking down a little lower. "I don't know, and that scares me." He looked over at Minhyuk, biting his lip in an attempt to hide his desperation. "Can you bring him back now?"

Minhyuk hunched his shoulder apologetically. "I'm sorry, I need to recover more magic."

Changkyun frowned but nodded, accepting the rejection before leaving the room.

Minhyuk released the breath he'd been holding, looking over at Jooheon in worry. "That wasn't exactly the truth," Minhyuk confessed, his fingers curling against each other, nails clicking softly. "I tried mirroring him again earlier, but...I got nothing. It was weird, unlike anything I've felt before."

"What do you mean?" Jooheon asked, and Taehyung tensed, leaning in. "He isn't..."

"He isn't dead," Minhyuk immediately refuted. "Or I wouldn't have been able to connect with him. But...it was like he was frozen. He wasn't asleep. He was awake, but he wasn't moving."

"Was he under the influence of some sort of magic?" Jooheon asked, frowning.

"I can't tell," Minhyuk said. "But it didn't feel like it. Anyway..." He paused, shooting a nervous glance towards the exit Changkyun had taken. "Until I figure out what's going on on his end, I don't want Changkyun to find out. Just in case something's wrong. Until  ** _nyayana_** , we can't change anything, anyway. No need in additional worry."

Jooheon nodded, but worry lined his eyes nonetheless. "Two weeks," he said softly. "Hang in there, Hyungwon."


	26. Chapter 26

"You've all gotten yours, then?" Seungcheol asked, looking over at Jeonghan and Jun, who nodded, Jun more eagerly than Jeonghan.

"It's harder to take humans these days," Minghao said, taking his seat with a small smirk. "Makes it more entertaining, I guess."

"You had no trouble, I'm sure," Seungcheol said, and Minghao nodded.

"But I don't really understand what you want us to do with them," Minghao continued, and Jeonghan frowned, settling back into his seat. "What exactly do you mean by training them? I don't see the purpose, frankly."

"Because this  ** _nyayana_**  is a test of loyalty and obedience," Seungcheol said, gesturing vaguely through the air as he leaned his weight onto one armrest. "What better way to test humans than by testing how well they can restrain their humanity, their impulse, their rebellious nature?"

Minghao just shrugged. "I'll do whatever you tell me to." He didn't share the same philosophical streak as Seungcheol. It was only about entertainment for him.

"Why must it always be about humans?" Jeonghan asked, resting his face on one of his open palms. "They aren't even that interesting. Why bother?"

"There's something so fleeting about them. They live for such a short time, and they're so easily broken," Seungcheol mused, dragging his fingernails against the arm of his chair. "So unlike us. And yet they never seem to realize how fragile they are until it's all over."

"I just don't find it very fun," Jeonghan said with a sigh. "Why do we have to break things at all?"

"Because power is the ability to destroy," Seungcheol said, looking directly at Jeonghan, who shivered but tried to look unaffected. "The ability to control, to subjugate, to influence. Power means nothing if there is no one to assert it against."

Jeonghan kept quiet even if he disagreed with Seungcheol. He'd grown bored of breaking things, maybe. It simply held no interest for him anymore. For as unique as humans were, they all died the same way, their eyes hauntingly full of panic and disbelief in their final moments. Jeonghan didn't see the point in continuously recreating the same scene.

"I have my human," Hoshi said, sighing as he sank back into his chair. "But he doesn't do what I say. All he does is yell and cry. Can't I just get rid of him and take a loss for this year? I hate it when others cry. It's profoundly irritating."

"Everyone must participate," Seungcheol said, and Hoshi slumped back even farther.

"But you've had your human a week longer than we've had ours," Mingyu complained, frowning. He was leaning forward in his seat, bent over his knees, hands clasped together in thought. "That isn't very fair."

Seungcheol cut Mingyu a glare, and the room fell quiet, waiting for his response. "My human is a special case. He's familiar with our world. It took longer to break him than it should to break an ordinary human." Seungcheol tilted his head. "If you find it unfair, then simply make sure you win."

Mingyu frowned but didn't reply.

"I accidentally killed my first human," Woozi said. "I went to slap him just as a warning, but I must have put too much strength into it because his neck snapped. It's okay if I get a replacement, right?"

"Fine," Seungcheol said with a sigh. "But you aren't getting any extra time."

"I know," Woozi said. "I just wanted to make sure it was okay."

"Try not to kill the next one," Seungcheol said. "At least, not yet. They have to last until  _ **nyayana**_. Don't forget that."

"I kind of like it this year," Joshua said, smiling. "It's like having a puppy.  _Sit. Roll over. Paw._  I think it's kind of fun."

"Don't get too attached," Wonwoo warned lightly.

"I won't," Joshua replied. "But it would be kind of nice to keep one as a pet."

"Isn't that what Changkyun did?" Jun asked in a soft voice, and once more, the room fell silent, all eyes darting over to watch Seungcheol.

The rivalry between Changkyun and Seungcheol went back centuries. There were rumors that Changkyun had once been head witch before Seungcheol, but there were no records to suggest so. In power alone, the two were close competitors, but aside from that, the two had simply never gotten along, or so it was assumed. There were other, less-heard rumors that Changkyun and Seungcheol had been close friends once, long ago, before a falling-out had occurred. But as with before, there was no proof.

"Changkyun is a failure of a witch who chose to associate with humans rather than those of his own kind," Seungcheol said sharply, looking at those seated in the room. "You'd be wise to not follow his example."

Jun nodded hurriedly, afraid of facing consequences for having spoken out on what he knew to be a sensitive topic.

"Then why are we doing it?" Mingyu asked, another challenge, to Seungcheol, who looked over in annoyance, but Jeonghan answered the question before he could.

"To mock him," Jeonghan said, tired from his posture to his tone. "This whole event is just one big fuck-you to Changkyun." Jeonghan met Seungcheol's eyes, raising his own eyebrows. "Which brings back the question. I get why  _you_  find this entertaining, but why must we as well?"

Seungcheol's eyes narrowed in warning, and Jeonghan knew that he would face consequences if he didn't shut up soon. "If any of you have an issue with this  _nyayana_ , feel free to take over as head witch in my stead."

Of course, for someone to take his position, they would need to kill him, unless he chose to step down, and for that to happen, they'd have to grow more powerful than him.

Jeonghan sank back in his seat, dismissing his interest in the conversation, and Seungcheol nodded in satisfaction. All the other witches assembled exhaled in relief. They'd fought amongst themselves before, but fights between witches got messy, especially with healers to prolong the affair.

" _Nyayana_  is fast approaching," Seungcheol said, standing, and as was custom, the rest of the coven stood as well, Jeonghan a second behind the rest. Seungcheol gave him a look but didn't comment. "Train your humans quickly, and then we'll put them to the test." With that, he left.


	27. Chapter 27

**_Nyayana_**  was not exactly what Taehyung had expected it to be. Changkyun and the rest had teleported to a metropolis - Taehyung wasn't sure which one but he knew he'd never been there before - and from there, they'd entered a massive building that looked to be a hotel or company of some sort. Changkyun and the others had been waved in at the entrance, and Changkyum had thrown in a quick "He's with me," grabbing Taehyung's arm and pulling him past the security detail. No one had dared question Im Changkyun.

Taehyung sank under the weight of whispers, but he felt slightly relieved when he realized that the majority were directed at Changkyun rather than him. "Is it really such a big deal for you to be here?" Taehyung whispered, leaning closer to the other.

"I haven't come to the last few," Changkyun replied, gazing coolly over the room, his eyes stopping on no one. "Witches like to gossip." He paused, giving Taehyung a look. "You're wearing it, right?"

Taehyung nodded, pulling up his left sleeve just enough to show that he was indeed wearing the bracelet Changkyun had given him.

"Don't take it off," Changkyun warned. "I enchanted it to mask your scent as a human. If they find out you're not a witch, the chances of you leaving alive are slim. Do you understand?"

Taehyung nodded, his bangs bouncing off his forehead with the belated wish that Changkyun would learn how to sugarcoat words. "Can you...I don't know how it works, but can you feel Hyungwon's presence?"

Changkyun grimaced, shaking his head. "Normally I'd be able to feel something, but all I'm getting is interference. Like static. There's some sort of barrier blocking me. He's here, though. Seungcheol isn't stupid, but he's bold. We just have to be patient and find the right time."

Taehyung nodded, wondering if Changkyun was including him in the "we" of which he spoke. Taehyung hoped so, even if he was more than a little terrified to be at a witch convention and a lot more than a little certain that he was absolutely useless.

Their party was shuffled along down several hallways until they reached a large room that looked like any presentation setting Taehyung had ever seen with rows of seats for the general assembly and a raised stage in front.

"This is just the overview," Changkyun explained as they took their seats in the back. "They talk for a while about mundane things. Just a few speakers to excite everyone." He paused, noticing how tense Taehyung was, perched on the edge of his seat. "Relax," Changkyun said, making a small gesture with his hands as though to push Taehyung back into his seat, although he didn't make physical contact. "Nothing's going to happen yet. This is just part of the theatrics. Hyungwon won't be brought out until later. Just...try to calm down, all right?"

Taehyung nodded, releasing a breath before nodding again as he settled deeper into his seat. As Changkyun had promised, the event was rather boring, and Taehyung found himself almost falling asleep as one of the speakers went over what sounded like the results to an election.

Almost an hour had passed before the house lighting rose and they were dismissed with the invitation to refreshments in the lobby.

"That's it?" Taehyung asked, frowning as their row stood up to exit the room.

"That concludes the preliminary proceedings, yes," Changkyun answered. They waited until most of the other witches had headed for the refreshments before he lead their group in the opposite way to an elevator at the end of the hall. Once inside, he hit a blank button on the bottom of the panel before scanning his thumb. The elevator began moving downward a moment later. "Not all witches are invited to the additional activities. You can only get in on a direct invitation based on your status, age, or power level. They don't want a sea of young, inexperienced witches showing up and getting in the way. It's like..." He fumbled for a human example. "You don't want a bunch of freshman at your senior prom. Understand?"

"I get it," Taehyung said slowly. "But how do you even know what Prom is?"

Changkyun's cheeks flushed only slightly, but the pink stood out against his pale skin. "Hyungwon made me watch movies with him. He picked them out, not me, okay?"

"Sure," Taehyung said with a small snort, and even Hoseok had to smile at that.

Immediately after, however, his smile fell, replaced by a tight-lipped grimace of worry as the elevator doors opened into a long hallway lined with elevators on one side and one lone set of doors on the other. The doors stretched up five meters or more, but they were currently shut, although the witches already in the hallway were slowly congregating around them.

"Are we in the basement?" Taehyung asked softly.

"More or less," Hoseok replied.

"A different dimension to be more accurate," Hyunwoo answered. "The witches' realm. The head coven shapes it and can reform it as they please, but the general structure remains the same."

Other elevators along the wall were opening and letting witches spill forth into the hallway. Something had changed from the earlier orderly atmosphere; perhaps it was the dim lighting of the basement hallway that was progressing growing more full, but the witches seemed jittery in anticipation, laughter sharper. Their eyes held predatory glints, and their lips held the most vicious of smiles.

Taehyung swallowed, pressing himself closer to the group, and Hoseok put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

"Witches are driven by power," Changkyun said in a low voice. "And as witches are naturally competitive, this is an opportunity to unleash that." He paused, glancing over at Taehyung's wrist, which was once more covered by his sleeve. His eyes flashed. "Don't take it off," he warned once more, and Taehyung shivered, clenching his hand into a fist.

Changkyun turned to look straight ahead just as the large doors opened inward. The chattering in the room grew louder and more frantic as witches because pressing themselves into the awaiting room. His voice wasn't loud, but it managed to cut through the mounting chaos.

"This is where the real  ** _nyayana_**  starts," he said before taking a step forward, cleaving a path through the lingering witches, and his coven - Taehyung included - followed him into the awaiting room.


	28. Chapter 28

The room behind the doors was arranged like an amphitheater, with descending rows forming concentric circles around a lowered platform in the middle. Witches poured into the room, finding seats, their attention flitting between the hungry chatter and the currently empty clearing at the bottom.

Taehyung knew without needing to be told that that was where Hyungwon would be, eventually.

"We can't all sit together," Changkyun said, addressing his coven. "I'll need some of you in the front ready to intervene. I need to stay in back to draw attention away if necessary."

"I'll sit up front," Kihyun offered, raising a hand. "It makes sense with my nullification ability."

"I'm afraid I won't be of much use," Hyunwoo said, a regretful tilt to his lips. "Not at this point."

"I'll go with Kihyun," Hoseok offered, sending a half-worried glance at Taehyung as though asking him to cover his ears, but Taehyung just clenched his jaw. Hoseok sighed, looking back at Changkyun before continuing. "It's likely that Hyungwon will be injured, if he hasn't already been. Physical injuries can be quickly healed; magical ones...those will have to wait until we're in a secure location. But I'll need to heal him before we teleport or it will worsen his condition."

Changkyun nodded, already familiar with Hoseok's limitations, before looking over at Minhyuk. "You're better off staying with me. You'll just be in the way."

Minhyuk's lips twitched but he nodded. Changkyun's words weren't intended to be rude but rather pragmatic, but Minhyuk had a hard time accepting that.

"You should stay with-"

"I want to be up front," Taehyung said, swallowing after a moment when they all looked at him. It still made him nervous, even if he'd spent a considerable amount of time with their odd group. When they all stared at him at the same time, he could almost feel their combined power washing over him, and it was overwhelming. "I want to be able to see Hyungwon."

"It's better if you don't," Changkyun said darkly, his mouth settling into a hard front to accompany his grave eyes.

"I can handle it," Taehyung argued. "I may be just a weak little-" He paused, lowering his voice as he realized that shouting he was a human was probably a stupid idea. "No, I'm not one of you, and I haven't lived hundreds of years like all of you either, but Hyungwon's my friend and I need to see him. And I'm nearsighted, so..."

Changkyun sighed as Kihyun reached over, dropping a hand on his head (which Taehyung found to be profoundly irritating). "It's fine, I'll watch after him."

"Fine," Changkyun said after a moment. "But you're just watching. Leave everything else up to Kihyun and Hoseok." He gave Hoseok a look. "If you have to teleport out, I'm trusting you and Kihyun to take Taehyung as well."

"We will," Hoseok promised before looking over at Kihyun. "We can only take one person a piece, so you'd better not ditch us if it all goes poorly."

"Whatever gave you the idea?" Kihyun asked, twirling a strand of hair before dropping it, his eyes cold. "If it all goes to shit, I'm leaving you all so I don't get caught up in anything, but I'll take the human too. Satisfied?"

"Enough," Hoseok muttered before nodding at Changkyun. "We'll meet up soon. With Hyungwon, if everything goes well."

"Even if it doesn't," Changkyun said. "Please...Please get him for me."

They nodded and went their separate ways, hopefully to reunite under better circumstances.

Taehyung turned to follow Kihyun and Wonho down the rows as Kihyun made a crack about the claw machine games and Hyungwon being the verifiable stuffed animal that Changkyun was willing to waste all his quarters on. Taehyung just kept quiet, staying close to Kihyun (because he didn't quite trust the witch not to leave him behind). They found seats in the third row near the aisle, and now that Taehyung was closer to the front, he could see that the clearing in the middle was a 3 to 5 meter drop from the surrounding structure. If he tried to enter, he'd likely sprain an ankle or worse.

He knew he had to leave all the heavy lifting to the witches on either side of him, but he was already fidgeting in his seat. He thought that maybe he should have sat with Changkyun, because watching from this close but being unable to do anything was almost worse.

Still, he needed to see Hyungwon, to make sure he was okay.

In his nervousness, he found himself rambling to Hoseok (Kihyun ignored him thoroughly) about everything from the plants in his apartment that were surely dead beyond all hope of revival to all the little quirks of Jungkook that subtly irritated Taehyung (but he was too scared to mention them for fear of harming their friendship and having to undergo the difficult process of replacing a best friend).

"And like, he does this thing sometimes where he makes sounds inside of his mouth without opening his lips," Taehyung continued on, Hoseok just nodding patiently (he was a good listener). "And I don't- I don't really get why it annoys me so much, but it's just like, who do you think you're fooling? I know it's you."

Taehyung exhaled, trying to channel his irritation as a method of relieving his anxiety, but it wasn't working. Instead, he felt more agitated.

Hoseok, recognizing his ranting for what it truly was, gave him a soft smile, putting a hand on his arm. "It's going to be okay, Taehyung. Kihyun is very powerful."

Taehyung gave Kihyun a doubtful side glance. "Not as powerful as Changkyun."

Kihyun returned Taehyung's uncertainty with a nasty glare. "At least I have a power that can actually be used without consequence. If your friend is saved today, it'll be thanks to me, not Changkyun."

"Don't mind him," Hoseok said reassuringly, patting Taehyung's arm to get his attention back. "We're going to get Hyungwon, and we'll take him someplace safe, okay? Your friend is going to be all right."

Taehyung nodded, doubts still lingering, but his gaze was drawn to the center of the lowered circle. The clearing seemed to be made of sand, and the grains began shifting as multiple somethings rose from beneath the surface. Taehyung felt his throat grow dry as the witches in the amphitheater began jeering, a dark, ugly sound joined by more and more voices with each passing second. That's when Taehyung recognized the  _somethings_  as cages, the bars becoming clear as they jutted out from within the sand. The cages continued rising past the surface until they were hovering mid-air several meters above the ground.

Within each cage was a boy.

Each boy was wearing a long white shift that looked to be medically inspired. Most were curled up on the bottom of the cage or backed into a corner. One boy jumped, his hands closing around the metal bars lining the top of the cage, and he hung for a few seconds, trying to figure out a way to get free, but he dropped back to the floor of the cage, looking angry as he slammed a fist against a bar on the side.

Taehyung didn't look too long at any particular boy, scared that he'd get distracted or see a face he recognized, but to his relief, none looked familiar at a quick glance. He kept scanning with his eyes, trying to find Hyungwon and-

There, the cage in the middle. The boy in the cage was kneeling, his form so still that Taehyung's eyes had passed over it at first, his hands folded behind his back and his head tilted down, exposing the feline ears perched atop his head. If Taehyung wasn't mistaken, he could see a tail poking out from his shift, the fur coloring identical to Hyungwon's cat form.

Taehyung wasn't sure exactly what he'd been expecting to see; Hyungwon all bruised and beaten, maybe, or reacting like the other captives, panicked and terrified and desperate to escape. Not this. Hyungwon looked...well, Taehyung couldn't see his face clearly, but he looked calm. Peaceful. Well-rested. Healthy.

Taehyung's eyebrows furrowed.

"Don't be deceived," Kihyun said softly, tracing Taehyung's gaze. "Physical injury is not the best indicator of harm."

Taehyung didn't like the sound of that, and the longer he stared at Hyungwon, the more he wondered why he wasn't moving like the other boys. And then he began to wonder why Hyungwon wasn't human or cat but both?

"That's probably why Minhyuk couldn't connect," Hoseok whispered, his words mainly for Kihyun's benefit as he nodded toward Hyungwon, and as Taehyung squinted, he noticed a thin band around Hyungwon's throat. A collar, not Changkyun's. A different one, then, and apparently the cause of magical interference.

"Seungcheol," Kihyun agreed, scowling. "If he made it, then it's sure to be cursed. Things may have just gotten more difficult."

"We'll see," Hoseok said mildly, keeping a close eye on the arena.

Without warning, the entire amphitheater went dark, the already dim lighting kicking out. As though on cue, the witches' harsh voices cut out as one, leaving the space darker than a vacuum and quieter than silence itself. In the next moment, the lighting returned, and Taehyung could see thirteen witches standing on top of the thirteen hovering cages.

The witch in the middle was familiar, and Taehyung glowered at him, wishing he'd never appeared in Taehyung's life in the first place.

As if in response to Taehyung's ill will, the witch smirked before opening his mouth and speaking, his voice filling the entire room. "Welcome to  _nyayana_."


	29. Chapter 29

"Welcome to  ** _nyayana_** ," Seungcheol announced with a grand flourish just as Jooheon slid into the empty seat beside Kihyun.

"Where have you been?" Kihyun asked, eyes narrowed.

"Just scoping things out," Jooheon answered, his eyes immediately going to Hyungwon. He winced before looking over at them. "Changkyun thought I'd be better off sitting down here."

"You just don't trust me to teleport the human out," Kihyun accused, and when Jooheon didn't deny it, Kihyun clenched his jaw and returned his attention to the arena.

One of the boys, the one who had jumped up earlier, had once more grabbed the top bars of the cage, only this time, he snaked a wrist up, grabbing the witch's ankle.

The witch's face twitched in irritation before green sparks blossomed from his palms. He touched one finger to the metal bar, and the green current ran through the bars, zapping the boy's hands. He yelped and tumbled down onto the bottom of the cage once more, his body convulsing before going still.

"Shit," the witch muttered before looking over at Seungcheol. "Does this mean I lose?"

Several witches in the audience booed, and Hoseok leaned closer to Taehyung to explain. "Many witches place bets on which human will win. I reckon several just lost a lot of money. Or sometimes they bet on enchanted items or other things of value."

Taehyung's brow creased but he said nothing.

A moment later, the bottoms of the cages disappeared, and the boys each fell to the ground several meters below. Hyungwon landed agilely on all fours, absorbing the shock in his bent knees and elbows. A boy down the line was not so lucky, however, and from his short scream, Taehyung could only assume that he'd twisted an ankle, if not worse.

The boy who had been shocked plummeted through the air, his body hitting the sand below with an ugly  _thump_ , stirring up the sand in a small cloud. He twitched several times before going still.

Taehyung stared at the boy's twisted body. "He's..."

"Dead," Kihyun answered, not looking (or sounding) altogether too bothered by it. "It happens, and it's going to happen a lot more, so get over it now."

"Are they all going to die?" Taehyung asked, looking over at Hoseok instead because Kihyun had never made him comfortable. Taehyung's eyes begged Hoseok to deny it. "They can't, that would just be...no, they..."

Hoseok sighed. "All but one. There has to be a winner. Seungcheol will go over this year's rules in a moment."

"They're all going to die except one?" Taehyung repeated, making a choked sound in the back of his throat.

"You already know about Hyungwon's first  _ **nyayana**_ ," Jooheon said quietly. "Why are you surprised?"

"Because I thought- I thought that maybe it was just that year's event. I didn't know...do they all turn out like this?"

The witches around him shrugged.

"Pretty much," Jooheon answered, and Taehyung felt a weight settle in his stomach.

Hoseok looked over at him in concern, biting down gently on his lower lip. "You know...we can only save Hyungwon. You know that, right?"

Taehyung nodded, but the knowledge didn't stop him from looking around at the other boys. They looked to be around his age. What if he had been taken? Or Jungkook?

"Even if they got out alive, something this traumatic will just make their lives miserable," Hoseok added, trying to reason with Taehyung. "Take Hyungwon, for instance. From what Changkyun has told me, Hyungwon was alone in the world without purpose before Changkyun found him. Even then, Hyungwon had to live with what he'd done, and he still wasn't able to really enjoy life. He's been stuck in an apartment for years and years, and he only really interacts with a handful of people. Do you really want that kind of lifestyle imposed on these boys? And do you really think any other witches would take them in?"

Taehyung sighed, not wanting to admit that Hoseok was right, but he couldn't deny it either.

"This  _nyayana_  is a test of obedience," Seungcheol announced, his voice magically amplified. Beside Taehyung, Hoseok frowned, and Jooheon leaned forward. Kihyun remained staring at Seungcheol in general disgust. Seungcheol grinned at the audience before raising a hand and snapping his fingers. Immediately, the remaining boys shifted, their forms changing as various appendages - ears, tails, wings, claws - sprouted. Several of the boys fell to the ground in pain, clutching their heads. Some of them looked uncomfortable but managed to endure whatever pain had been inflicted. Hyungwon didn't react, as he was already being held in a state halfway between that of a human and that of an animal. Judging from the others, it must have been painful.

Taehyung wondered if Hyungwon was in pain as well.

Besides Hyungwon as half-human half-feline, the other boys appeared to represent a bear, a wolf, a mouse, some sort of snake (the only thing that had shifted had been the boy's teeth into deadly poison-tipped fangs), what looked to be a rabbit of some sort...The list went on.

The dead boy had been the only one to remain mercifully human.

Some of the boys, like Hyungwon, seemed to suit their animal counterparts. Others, however, appeared as strange abnormalities, gross conglomerations of traits that should not have been mixed.

The entire sight was bizarre, frightening yet entrancing at the same time. Taehyung couldn't look away, nor could the witches by his side or those throughout the room. Soft whispers had begun to sprout, following by quiet sounds of approval and - more insistently - interest, a dark, eager desire to see how it all unfolded.

"I must say," Seungcheol continued as the head coven began to float down towards the ground. "I can't claim full originality of thought for this year's event. Indeed, I must attribute credit where it's due. So, for the concept of keeping humans as mere pets, I would like to sincerely thank Im Changkyun for bring us this year's  ** _nyayana_**."

The vast room went silent for just a moment before the whispers started up again, more furiously this time. Blood had been scented in the form of a challenge, a grotesque mockery between powerful rivals.

Indeed, this  _nyayana_  was one that would not be soon forgotten.

Seungcheol waved a hand in the air, and the noise level decreased immediately. "I hope you enjoy the show," he said with a sharp smile directed upward to where Taehyung could only assume Changkyun was sitting. "Let's begin, shall we?"


	30. Chapter 30

The witches issued commands to be completed by each of the boys, starting from the end of the line, with the exception of the witch who had already been eliminated. The first few commands were simple, and it sickened Taehyung to hear how they were treating the boys like mindless animals. The witches had made a game of it, it seemed; they laughed amongst themselves while instructing the humans to sit down, roll over.

"When are we going to get Hyungwon?" Taehyung whispered to Hoseok, who patted his thigh in reassurance.

"We can't do anything just yet," Hoseok said, looking on with worry. Besides the initial fatality, there hadn't been any other injuries as of yet, which only made him more nervous.

"Paw," one of the witches to Seungcheol's right said, sticking out a hand, and the other witches mimicked his position.

The human he was paired with, who looked to be some kind of insect with antennae sprouting from his hair, hesitated before extending a hand to his witch.

Each of the other boys copied him, some more reluctant than others, but they were all aware of the stakes should they fail.

The next witch to issue a command was tall and slim, his long hair falling over one shoulder. His voice was softer than the others, his eyes not lit up in amusement. His lips moved in a single syllable, and his human hesitated before bowing his head and putting his hands together. The others again copied him, and Taehyung looked over to Hoseok in confusion, as he hadn't been able to make the command out.

"What did he say?" Taehyung asked, looking back at the boys once more before looking over at Hoseok.

Hoseok's eyes were sad. "He said,  _Pray._ He knows that most will not make it out alive. He's giving them the chances to send their last words to God or to their loved ones." Hoseok paused, sensing Taehyung's confusion. "That witch is named Jeonghan. He's one of the oldest members of the head coven, second only to Seungcheol himself. He's been Seungcheol's right hand man, so to speak, for centuries. But he and Seungcheol are very different."

Taehyung looked back at the witch Jeonghan and wondered what was in his mind as he stared down at the cowering human in front of him, his hands clasped together so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his eyes squeezed shut. "Even so. All they can really pray is that everybody else dies, right? Because that's the only way they'll live. What kind of a prayer is that?"

Hoseok sighed, his hands restless. "Not everybody plans on leaving alive. Most are already aware and are just waiting for the most painless opportunity to disappear."

Taehyung's lips twitched, but he didn't reply, as Seungcheol was directly next to Jeonghan, and he would be giving the next order. Taehyung's eyes dropped to Hyungwon, who had his hands clasped together like the other boys, but his eyes were open, blank.

"What is he doing?" Taehyung asked, nudging Hoseok's shoulder, but it was Kihyun who answered this time.

"Either he has no one to pray to or nothing to pray for," Kihyun answered in a voice empty of his usual derision.

"Of course he does," Taehyung said, somehow upset by Hyungwon's behavior. The whole time, he'd been silent, unaffected. Taehyung wanted him to look...well, it sounded awful to his own ears, but he wanted Hyungwon to look scared, to look panicked. Because fear, panic...those were human emotions.

Where had the humanity in Hyungwon gone?

"The Hyungwon you knew several weeks ago and the Hyungwon before you now are not the same," Kihyun answered.

Taehyung wanted to respond, but he was cut off by Seungcheol, who stepped forward with a small smile that made Taehyung's stomach drop. His following words only intensified the feeling of extreme dread that was making Taehyung's hair stand on end, his arms riddled with goosebumps. "Choose a finger," Seungcheol began before tilting his head, his smile widening, "and break it."

Taehyung let out a nervous sigh, licking his bottom lip. "That's impossible," he mumbled. "In school, we learned about this, how physically, it's not that hard to snap a finger, but there's a psychological block in your brain. You just can't do it. It's-"

He'd been about to say  _impossible_  once more when his words died in his throat as he watched Hyungwon calmly examine his hands before taking his first two fingers and thumb from his right hand and using them to snap his left ring finger.

Taehyung choked for a moment, horrified by the sight. He was too far away to hear the sound, but he could picture it in his brain, a sickening click as his finger was twisted in an abnormal way.

Hoseok's hands were white from the pressure he was exerting to keep them on his kneecaps, positive that if he wasn't physically holding himself down, that he would have already bolted forward. His eyes, too, were on Hyungwon, reading the wince that passed through his body but was quickly stilled as his arms fell to his sides, swaying limply.

The other boys either gawked at Hyungwon in overt horror or were currently staring at their own hands, terrified of the thought of harming themselves but equally terrified as to the consequences if they didn't.

Seungcheol, however, was not a very patient witch. "Since you're all taking so long and I can't just kill all of you so soon, I'll show you mercy and give you a bit of help," he announced, and with a snap of his fingers, eleven more  _snaps_  occurred instantly. There were several screams, and the mouse boy fell to the ground, clutching his hand and shrieking.

Hyungwon remained still, the only one to have successfully completed the challenge.

Jooheon, on Kihyun's right, watched in disgust as Seungcheol smiled at Hyungwon, stepping forward to put his hand on Hyungwon's head, which he bowed down slightly, and run his fingers through Hyungwon's hair. Without realizing it, a possessive growl had started in the back of Jooheon's throat, but Kihyun's hand on his arm made him come to, looking over in agitation.

"What?" Jooheon asked, his eyes narrowed and his voice rough.

"I know you're upset but stay focused," Kihyun said, his face serious and his eyes dark. "Hoseok here can heal that."

"It's not the broken finger that bothers me," Jooheon snarled. "It's the fact that  _he_  broke it. His own finger. Because Seungcheol told him to."

"And worse may yet happen," Kihyun said sharply. "But if you charge in now, you're going to get all of us killed, Hyungwon included."

Jooheon inhaled deeply through his nose, trying to settle back into his seat as he turned his gaze back to the arena.

But when he looked at Hyungwon, all he could see was the soft boy he'd helped raise, coming into the living room in one of Changkyun's oversized t-shirts, sweater paws used to rub at his sleepy eyes as he collapsed into his personal armchair and made needy sounds as a cue for Jooheon to come pet him. He wanted that Hyungwon back.

He didn't know if that would be the Hyungwon they were going to bring home.

Even so, he swallowed, trying to push back his anger for now at least. The only thing holding it back was the knowledge that Changkyun, sitting somewhere above them, had to be restraining even greater rage than Jooheon, as he hadn't yet attempted to burn down the entire realm. If Changkyun could stand it, so could Jooheon.

Even if it broke his heart a little, or a lot, to see his precious little kitten looking so dead inside.


	31. Chapter 31

The witch after Seungcheol opened his mouth, ready to issue his command, but Seungcheol put up a hand, cutting him off.

"Enough. I've grown tired of these boring tasks," he said, and the younger witches to his left pouted at having missed their turn. "Let's try something more interesting, shall we?"

He gestured to Jeonghan, who paused before snapping his fingers.

Before each boy appeared a knife lying blade-down in the sand.

"You each have a knife," Seungcheol explained calmly. "Here are the rules: you can use it against whomever you please, but if you choose not to use it at all, you will be killed. The only way you can survive is if someone's blood ends up on your blade. And it must be a mortal wound, not a mere scratch."

The boys stared at him with wide eyes, some shaking in fear while others clenched their jaws, already preparing for the next few moments.

"Ready? Begin."

Taehyung could only watch for a few moments as the chaos unfolded. Several of the boys, as expected, grabbed the knife and rushed against their witch. None managed to land a blow. Some of the boys, the stronger ones, the smarter ones, turned against each other, realizing that it would be easier to injure a fellow human being than a powerful witch. Screams rang out as human cut down human, as whatever illusion of shared suffering they'd initially held shattered. One boy ignored the knife altogether and tried to flee. His witch snapped, and he dropped face down into the sand. He didn't move again.

And Hyungwon.

The thin boy looked down at the knife, his muscles contracting before he reached for the blade.

Finally, Taehyung thought to himself, trying to ignore the surrounding bloodshed. Hyungwon would grab the blade, somehow manage to mortally injure Seungcheol, and then they could all-

Hyungwon plunged the blade into his own stomach.

A strangled cry came out of Taehyung mouth before he slapped a hand over it, trying to conceal his complete and utter horror. He watched as Hyungwon's frame trembled as he slowly lowered, falling to his knees, still holding on tight to the handle with both hands.

And Seungcheol just smirked in Changkyun's direction.

Taehyung shivered as a dark pulse of energy echoed out across the arena, an impulse that Changkyun hadn't been able to control, and the witches grew quiet, reading the magical signature and waiting to see what would happen.

"Is something the matter?" Seungcheol spoke, looking up into the rows of seats, but Taehyung couldn't follow his gaze. He was still trying to reason with his upset stomach, trying to wipe the sight of Hyungwon stabbing himself out of his mind, but how was he supposed to do that when he could see his friend's blood slowly blanketing the surrounding sand?

Changkyun appeared in the arena, his eyes the purest ebony.

" _Shit,_ " Hoseok whispered, biting his lip. "This isn't good. Changkyun wasn't supposed to-"

"Just be ready to move," Kihyun said, eyes following Changkyun.

"Stop this," Changkyun commanded, his voice layered with dark undertones as with when Hyungwon had first gone missing. Even now, the sound forced Taehyung back into his seat, terror struck in his heart.

"And why would I do that? I'm rather enjoying myself," Seungcheol replied, smirking as he set a hand down on Hyungwon's head, and Hyungwon whimpered.

The sound drove Changkyun forward two steps. "He is not yours."

"I created him," Seungcheol replied before tilting his head with a smile, eyes still locked on Changkyun's as he pulled Hyungwon's bad ear.

A soft sob and a muffled scream as Hyungwon bit down on his bottom lip, bowing his head down to try and relieve the pressure, but Seungcheol didn't let go.

"This is between you and me," Changkyun snarled. "Leave him out of this."

"You want me to let him go?" Seungcheol asked with a predatory grin, and Taehyung felt his stomach drop once more. Nothing good could happen when Seungcheol was enjoying himself. "Fine," Seungcheol said, letting go of Hyungwon's ear, looking down at the boy. "Look at me," he commanded, and Taehyung flinched as Hyungwon's head snapped up, his eyes meeting Seungcheol's. "I don't want you anymore," Seungcheol said with a cruel smile. "You're worthless to me. Useless."

"N-No," Hyungwon gasped, scrambling up to his feet with a slight lurch as more blood began pouring out of his wound. "You said- you said you wouldn't throw me away, you-"

Seungcheol slapped Hyungwon so hard that the boy felt back into the sand. "I didn't ask you to speak. This is why I'm throwing you away, because you can't do what I tell you to do."

"P-Please," Hyungwon choked out, struggling back up and crawling towards Seungcheol on his hands and knees. "Please, don't throw me away. I'll be good, I promise."

"No. I'm done with you," Seungcheol said, already walking away as Hyungwon tried to crawl after him.

"Hyungwon," Changkyun called, teleporting right in front of him. "Hyungwon, I-"

Hyungwon flinched, falling back and shuddering at the sight of him. "No, no," he muttered, his eyes wide as he fought to keep his distance from Changkyun.

"Hyungwon, it's me, Changkyun, I-"

Hyungwon jerked back once more, attempting to put more space between them, but he couldn't move fast with his injury. His eyes went past Changkyun to Seungcheol. "Please," he begged. "Please, take me with you!"

Seungcheol looked over his shoulder, smirking at Hyungwon before looking over at Changkyun. "You can have him," he said in a sweet voice. "He's all yours."

"No!" Hyungwon screamed, shaking. His entire shift was now painted in red. "No, you can't-"

"Hyungwon, it's me, I-"

"Stop," Kihyun said, teleporting between them and casting symbols in the air.

"Get out of my way!" Changkyun yelled, reaching once more, but Kihyun pushed him back, glaring at him.

"You didn't even realize that you'd activated your magic. You could have killed him if I hadn't stepped in and nullified your power, Changkyun," Kihyun snapped.

Changkyun paled, looking down at his now-normal hands. "I..."

Kihyun looked over at the seats and gestured. A moment later, Hoseok appeared, followed by Hyunwoo, Minhyuk, and Jooheon, who had teleported Taehyung with him.

Hoseok rushed past Kihyun, immediately casting symbols and causing a white light to emanate around Hyungwon.

"Get him out of here," Kihyun said, nodding towards Taehyung while locking eyes with Jooheon, who cast a quick look at Hyungwon before nodding.

"Wait!" Taehyung said, putting a hand on Jooheon's arm, trying to get closer to Hyungwon.

He saw Hyungwon's eyes meet his, his dark orbs full of panic and desperation and unimaginable pain.

"Hyungwon-" Taehyung began, but as he reached out, he found himself back in Changkyun's apartment, his hand reaching toward the wall instead, the bloody boy gone from his sight.


	32. Chapter 32

"What-" He spun around to see Jooheon watching him. "Take me back!"

"No," Jooheon said, crossing his arms. "You'll just get in the way. They can handle this. Hoseok just needs to heal Hyungwon enough to the point where they can teleport him."

"But what if-"

"Trust them," Jooheon said, putting a hand on Taehyung's shoulder. "There's nobody in this world who cares more for Hyungwon than Changkyun, and as for Hoseok, Hyuwoo, Minhyuk, and Kihyun - they aren't bad guys. I know it's hard, but there's nothing you can do, Taehyung."

Taehyung looked down, unable to find fault with Jooheon's words.

"But-"

"Wait. Just wait."

***

The others appeared in the middle of the living room five minutes later.

Taehyung jumped up, both trying to get a read on the situation and having been startled by their sudden appearance. "How is he?" Taehyung asked, getting closer to where the five witches were clustered around a body.

Taehyung pushed himself between Hoseok and Minhyuk and opened his mouth to speak but found the words ripped away as he stared down at a very still Hyungwon who was still very much so covered in blood. His eyes were closed, and Taehyung couldn't tell if his chest was rising or not. "Is he..."

"He's alive," Hoseok said, and it was only as Taehyung looked over that he saw how pale and shaky Hoseok was as he stumbled back towards the couch, collapsing onto it once the backs of his legs hit the edge. "Barely."

"Did you use your own magic?" Jooheon asked with a slight frown. "Hoseok, that must have taken a lot. You could have-"

"I didn't want to tap into Hyungwon because I was afraid that Seungcheol might already have," Hoseok explained, his breaths coming out labored. "I thought he might have drained Hyungwon's magic to near empty so if any of us attempted to borrow from him, we'd accidentally cause his burnout."

Jooheon nodded, his expression dark but his eyes clear. "That was very smart of you. Thank you."

Hoseok nodded, his eyelids fluttered as he struggled to keep them open. "It's no problem. The stab wound is healed - lightly, though, so he can't be moving too much or he'll reopen it. I wasn't able to fix his finger yet and his ear is something I need to look at more closely, but I can try again after I rest up a bit -"

"Please, get some rest," Jooheon interrupted, gesturing for Hoseok to lay down on the couch. "We're very grateful for your sacrifice. You have no idea."

"There's nothing to thank me for," Hoseok denied weakly, but his eyes were already closing as he fell into a restorative sleep.

"Can you move Hyungwon into his bedroom?" Changkyun asked Jooheon, looking over with an unreadable expression, and Jooheon stared at him for a long moment before nodding. He approached Hyungwon's still body, bending down and sliding one arm beneath Hyungwon's upper back, the other beneath his knees, before standing up with Hyungwon dangling limply from his arms. He carried Hyungwon into the other bedroom before returning, shutting the door behind him with the gentlest of touches.

"Is he all right?" Jooheon asked softly, looking directly at Changkyun for honest answers.

"I don't know what answer you want," Changkyun said, ripping at his hair with one hand. "Hoseok was trying to heal him but Hyungwon was...I don't know how to describe it. He's usually so calm, quiet...but he was having some sort of attack. He was screaming. He looked scared of me. I don't..." Changkyun's voice grew softer as his eyes fell to the floor. "I don't know what to do with that. He's never been afraid of me before. Maybe at the very beginning, but it was because I was a witch. It had nothing to do with me personally. But this...it had everything to do with me."

"You think it's a result of Seungcheol's work?" Jooheon asked, and Changkyun flinched, his eyes growing darker in despair.

"What else can it be?" he questioned, his voice thin, his words futile. "I couldn't break his original curse, even after trying for hundreds of years. If this is the result of a curse as well, then..."

"We'll figure something out," Jooheon promised, but the worry in Changkyun's eyes didn't dissipate.

"Hoseok was only able to heal him after Jeonghan stepped in and put Hyungwon to sleep," Hyunwoo offered up calmly.

Jooheon's eyes widened. "Jeonghan did that?"

Taehyung looked over at Jooheon, hating feeling left out of the discussion. "Jeonghan was the one next to Seungcheol, right?"

Jooheon nodded, a troubled glint in his eyes. "He's one of the head coven. His magic is one of somnolence; he can influence drowsiness in a person, or basically render them unconscious, as long as he's in physical contact with them."

"He's sympathetic," Hyunwoo said. "To us, to humans. Not enough to betray his own coven, but enough to lend a hand. It's good for us that he did, or we wouldn't have been able to restrain Hyungwon and allow Hoseok to perform his magic."

Jooheon just kept quiet, a small frown on his face, but he'd seemed to grow more relaxed now that Hyungwon was back in their care. "So Jeonghan stepped in, and Seungcheol just watched as Hoseok healed Hyungwon? And then he let you all leave? I'm not the only one who thinks that was too easy, right?"

"This is what he wanted," Changkyun said with a sigh. "Which can only mean that he thinks that recovering Hyungwon will only hurt me more. That's his grand objective with all of this."

Jooheon's frown shifted into one of worry for his friend. "Changkyun-"

"It's fine," Changkyun interrupted. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out, like you said. What's important is that Hyungwon is safe again." He cast a sorrowful glance towards the closed bedroom door, and Jooheon followed his gaze.

"If you're that worried, go in and check on him," Jooheon suggested softly, and Changkyun hesitated before shaking his head.

"I don't want to scare him," Changkyun mumbled. "He needs to heal. Having me there won't help that."

"Chang-"

"It's fine," Changkyun repeated, turning in the direction of his own bedroom. "I'd appreciate if someone else would stay with him. Please let me know when either he or Hoseok awake." He gave a nod to everyone before going into his bedroom and closing the door.

Taehyung exhaled slowly. "We got Hyungwon back though, right? That's good, isn't it?"

The uneasy silence in the room was his only answer.


	33. Chapter 33

Taehyung waited an hour in quiet tension before standing up abruptly. He'd been at war with himself, wanting to go in and see Hyungwon but afraid of reading hatred in Hyungwon's eyes. But he couldn't put it off any longer.

He took a step in the direction of Hyungwon's room before hesitating, half-expecting someone to stop him. "I'm...going to see Hyungwon," Taehyung announced, biting his lip, but Jooheon just looked up tiredly.

"Then go see him," Jooheon replied, not wanting Taehyung to find some excuse to avoid responsibility for his actions.

Taehyung swallowed, nodding before forcing himself to walk over the the door. He stared at it for a long moment before knocking softly, but there was no response.

"Go in," Jooheon prompted, and Taehyung exhaled before opening the door, stepping inside the dark room and giving his eyes a moment to adjust. Hyungwon was laying on the bed, his eyes now open and following Taehyung.

Taehyung stopped, taking in his weary form still clothed in the bloody shift. Taehyung bit his lip before exhaling sharply. "Those idiots didn't even get you cleaned up," he mumbled, going over to Hyungwon, who tracked Taehyung with his eyes but made no move to respond. "Can you move?" Taehyung asked softly.

Hyungwon stared at Taehyung before giving a single small nod.

Taehyung waited a moment before helping Hyungwon sit up, his eyes crinkling in worry when he took in Hyungwon's wince from his stomach wound. He waited until Hyungwon seemed to be all right before he gently turned Hyungwon towards the outside of the bed, helping him stand and keeping an arm around him as he led Hyungwon out of the bedroom and towards the bathroom.

Jooheon watched him with narrow eyes, and Taehyung gave him an annoyed look.

"You guys just left him in these clothes?"

Jooheon raised an eyebrow. "We couldn't exactly force an unconscious person into the shower."

Taehyung clenched his jaw but focused on steering Hyungwon towards the bathroom. Once inside, he flipped the toilet lid down and sat Hyungwon down on top of it. "I'm going to grab a change of clothes for you, okay?"

Hyungwon just watched him, and Taehyung frowned before reaching over and turning on the shower, setting the temperature to warm before he hurried back to Hyungwon's bedroom and ruffled through the drawers, grabbing a spare set of clothes and a towel. He carried the items back to the bathroom, where Hyungwon was still sitting in the exact position he'd left him in.

"Okay, I found something," Taehyung announced, slightly out of breath as he held up the clothes. "Are these okay?"

Hyungwon nodded.

Taehyung set them down on the counter next to the sink before hanging up the towel on the hook next to the shower. Then he turned to Hyungwon.

"Um...do you...do you need help taking those off?" Taehyung asked, gesturing to the bloody garments Hyungwon was currently ripping, several gashes and rips pulling the material apart.

Hyungwon looked down at himself for a moment before shaking his head, already reaching to pull the shift over his head, and Taehyung quickly spun around, closing his eyes and holding his hands over them as a double measure. He heard the soft rustle of cloth hitting the floor, and he paused, but Hyungwon didn't say anything.

"Uh...you can step into the shower, if you're all ready," Taehyung said, keeping his eyes closed until he heard the shower curtain being pushed aside before it fell back into place. He turned around, and since the curtain was light-colored, Taehyung could see the vague silhouette of Hyungwon.

"I'm just going to make sure the water is okay, all right?" Taehyung asked, waiting for Hyungwon's nod before he drew closer to the shower, sticking his hand in just far enough to feel the water.

"Frick, Hyungwon, that's freezing," Taehyung exclaimed, quickly adjusting the temperature and hurrying to turn the sink on in order to draw the hot water quicker. He shut off the sink faucet after a moment and tested the shower temperature again, sighing when it felt warm to his hands. "Sorry about that, Hyungwon. But you don't have to stay in if it's cold...you know that, right?"

Another small nod.

Taehyung frowned before pulling back. "Do you need any help with washing up?"

He shook his head.

"Okay. I'm just going to have a seat here, all right?" Tae said, sitting down on top of the toilet and resting his elbows on his knees. "When you're done, you can turn the shower off and I'll hand you your towel, okay?"

Another nod.

Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes went by. Taehyung kept his gaze focused away, wanting to give Hyungwon as much privacy as he could, but he wasn't sure if Hyungwon was washing himself or just standing in the water. Either way, hopefully the blood would be washed off.

The water stopped a moment later, and Taehyung jumped up when he realized that Hyungwon was waiting for him. "Sorry, sorry, just a sec," he mumbled, grabbing the towel and holding it inside the shower, looking away.

The towel was taken from his hands, and Taehyung sat back down while Hyungwon dried himself off.

"I'm going to leave for a moment, okay? Your clothes are on the counter. Just knock on the door when you're done," Taehyung said, getting up and exiting the bathroom, shutting the door and waiting.

A soft knock sounded several minutes later, and Taehyung opened the door to come face-to-face with Hyungwon, his eyes dull, his ears down, his hair wet, and his clothes hanging limply from his thin frame. But at least the blood was gone.

"All right, let's get you back in your room," Taehyung said. He went to reach out for Hyungwon's hand when he saw one finger set at a different angle from the rest. He sucked in a sharp breath before leading the way back to Hyungwon's room. He sensed that Hyungwon was following him, but he could only tell by the odd aura of Hyungwon's presence rather than by sound because Hyungwon was entirely silent.

Once they were back in the room, Taehyung had Hyungwon sit down on the bed. Taehyung remained standing, twisting his fingers nervously. "Hoseok can fix that. Your finger, I mean. When he wakes up."

Hyungwon just blinked.

"Is it...is it painful?" Taehyung asked, but Hyungwon just stared at him in confusion as though he didn't know what pain was.

"Well...uh...like I said...Hoseok can fix it later...I would wrap it or something but I don't want to make it worse or hurt you," Taehyung explained hesitantly. He didn't like how Hyungwon was looking at him with absolutely no expectation in his eyes. He didn't expect Taehyung to help him. He didn't expect anyone to fix his wounds. He didn't expect an alternative to pain.

That worried Taehyung.

His eyes dipped down to the dark collar around Hyungwon's neck, the one that he hadn't yet had the courage to ask about. Feeling invasive, he quickly looked back up, his eyes meeting Hyungwon's before rising up to the fluffy ears perched atop his head. Taehyung hadn't even found it odd for some reason; in fact, it was only now that he recalled that Hyungwon had a tail as well, although Taehyung couldn't tell if he'd tucked it inside his pants or if it was just hidden behind him.

"We can fix your clothing," Taehyung offered. "Cut a hole out for your tail. If you want." He paused, not really expecting a response at this point and not getting one. "Your ear..." He hesitated, looking back up at Hyungwon's feline ears. One was beautiful and unmarred, covered in soft, dark fur, and it twitched every so often as Taehyung spoke. But the other ear was covered in dark patches, some of which had scabbed over, others which appeared to have hardened into tough flesh. That ear did not twitch; Taehyung wasn't sure it even worked. "What happened to it?"

Hyungwon's flinch told Taehyung that he'd asked too much, and he quickly took a step back, waving his hands defensively. "I'm sorry, forget I asked. That was stupid of me, I'm sorry..." He hesitated, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, um...lay down and get some rest-"

Hyungwon immediately laid back, shutting his eyes.

"-and...oh...uh...I'll be back when Hoseok is ready," Taehyung said, creeping out of the room and shutting the door softly.

"Well? How is he?" Jooheon asked, trying to separate the part of him that wanted to assign blame from the part that was concerned about Hyungwon's condition.

"Not great."


	34. Chapter 34

Hoseok woke up and almost rolled off the couch. He caught himself, placing a hand on the armrest before looking over to see Jooheon watching him in amusement. "Is Hyungwon awake?" Hoseok asked, blinking and clearing his throat in an attempt to wake himself up. "I haven't finished healing him."

"You need calories first," Jooheon said, pulling Hoseok into the kitchen and forcing him to eat whatever Jooheon found, an odd assortment which included a ham sandwich, a can of olives, and what looked to be pasta salad.

"Better?" Jooheon asked, and Hoseok nodded, standing and heading back to Hyungwon's bedroom. He gave the obligatory knock before entering. He found Hyungwon watching him from his reclined position, and Hoseok gave him a weak smile and a small wave.

He took in Hyungwon's position with the trained eyes of a healer, focusing on the physical rather than the psychological, but he paused when he came to Hyungwon's eyes. He sighed, walking over to the side of Hyungwon's bed, sitting on the edge and looking down at his patient.

"You're looking better," Hoseok said. It was maybe true, maybe not, but part of his job had always included small talk. "May I?" he asked, gesturing at Hyungwon's stomach, and Hyungwon nodded, watching in silence as Hoseok gently lifted his shirt, pushing it up above his navel as he leaned in to survey the wound.

A thin white line remained of the knife injury. Hoseok hesitated, meeting Hyungwon's eyes and searching for any discomfort before tracing the wound gently, applying minimal pressure to gauge how well the wound had healed.

There was a flash of pain in Hyungwon's eyes, and Hoseok pulled back quickly.

"I apologize," Hoseok said, bowing his head forward. "It looks to still be healing. You'll need to be careful, all right?"

Hyungwon didn't reply, and Hoseok pulled Hyungwon's shirt back down. "Can you sit up for me, Hyungwon?"

Hyungwon pushed himself to a seated position, resting his back against the headboard, eyes still watching Hoseok carefully.

"Can I see your hand?" Hoseok asked, holding out his own, palm-up.

Hyungwon paused before placing his hand in Hoseok's. Hoseok took his hand gently, inspecting Hyungwon's broken finger and getting an idea of the abnormality in the structure. It was important for him to visualize the human anatomy in order for him to repair the damage done. "I'm going to heal your finger, all right?"

Hyungwon nodded.

Hoseok closed his eyes before channeling his magic through his palms, placing his right hand over Hyungwon's, his left hand still supporting it from underneath. He felt the magic leaking from his fingertips as he traced Hyungwon's broken finger from the top knuckle all the way down to the fingertip, moving slowly and feeling the bone shift ever so slightly as it righted itself and fused back together.

At the fingertip, he paused, giving his magic a moment to settle before removing his hand, cutting off the magical power. His hands returned to their normal state as he opened his eyes and looked down to find Hyungwon's hand restored to its original form.

He looked up to see relief in Hyungwon's eyes. "Is that better?" Hoseok asked, eyes flicking back and forth from Hyungwon's left eye to his right.

Hyungwon gave a small nod, his lips moving for a moment before they froze and returned to a neutral line.

"Did you want to say something?" Hoseok asked, his brows furrowing.

Hyungwon clenched his jaw, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

"Hyungwon, tell me what you were going to say."

"Thank you," came a rough whisper in a voice that sounded disconnected from the body. It was hard to believe such a broken voice could come out of such a beautiful creature.

"You're welcome," Hosoek said, a brightness in his eyes nonetheless. "And, Hyungwon? You can say whatever you like. You don't have to stay quiet, all right?"

Hyungwon shrank back into the headboard, and Hoseok hesitated.

"Why do you think you have to be quiet?" Hoseok asked, keeping his voice soft and gentle. Working with the sick and injured, some closer to dying than others, he'd heard many late-hour confessions, and he'd developed a knack for being able to tell when someone had something to confess.

But Hyungwon's lips weren't moving.

"Did Seungcheol tell you that you have to be quiet?" Hoseok asked, his voice even softer. It was the only explanation he could conjure.

Hyungwon hesitated before bobbing his head forward, his good ear twitching as his bangs shifted and covered his eyes.

Hoseok sighed, getting up and rummaging around the room before returning with an object. He leaned forward, putting two fingers on Hyungwon's head to alert him to his presence before he slowly dragged the brush through Hyungwon's hair, brushing out his bangs before making his way around to the sides.

"Bring your head forward a bit," Hoseok said, and Hyungwon complied, tilting his head forward to give Hoseok access to the back of his head. Hoseok continued brushing Hyungwon's hair until all the knots that had accumulated in Hyungwon's hair over the past few weeks were slowly eliminated. "Whatever Seungcheol told you is wrong," Hoseok said, his voice just loud enough to be heard over the soft rustle of the brush. He paused, pulling back and pushing Hyungwon's overgrown bangs out of his eyes. "Tell me what you're thinking, Hyungwon."

"I don't want to be thrown away," Hyungwon whispered, fear stark in his eyes and rough in his voice.

"You won't be," Hoseok promised. "Nobody threw you away, and nobody will." He paused, sensing that Hyungwon didn't believe him. He knew that the psychological damage done to Hyungwon wouldn't disappear with a few words. It would be a slow, gradual process, if it worked at all. "Now let me see your ear," Hoseok said, and Hyungwon flinched before leaning his head forward so his left ear was within Hoseok's reach.

Hoseok prodded at it gently. "Can you feel that?" he asked, and when he didn't get a clear response, he added, "Answer me with a yes or no."

"No," Hyungwon murmured.

Hoseok frowned, looking over the mangled flesh with worry. "Is it painful?"

"No."

" _Was_  it painful?"

"Yes."

"Did Seungcheol do this?" Hoseok asked, pulling back after examining the nerve damage.

"Yes."

Hoseok clenched his jaw but didn't saw anything. "I need to restore my magic after healing your finger. I'll take a look at your ear next, all right?"

Hyungwon nodded his head, looking as though he wanted to speak again, and Hoseok waited for him to say something, wanting Hyungwon to resist against the rules in his head, but he didn't.

Hoseok fought back a disappointed sigh. "Is there anything you want to say, Hyungwon? You can answer me."

"Thank you," Hyungwon repeated from earlier, looking down and hesitantly clasping his hands together, sinking back into the headboard as they slid together with ease.

"You're welcome, Hyungwon. But you don't have to thank me," Hoseok said, standing up and going over to the door. "And Hyungwon?" he said, turning back to the skeletal boy. "Nobody is going to throw you away."

A pair of dark, conflicted eyes met his before they turned away, and Hoseok left the room.


	35. Chapter 35

All of them - not including Hyungwon; Hyungwon had ceased to be part of  _all_  - were gathered in the living room. Changkyun was calmer than before, but it was a dark calm, a lost calm. Hoseok had called him out after speaking with Hyungwon, and now they were all waiting to hear what the next step was. If there was.

"We have to do something about the collar" were Hoseok's first words, met with soft murmurs. "It's obviously Seungcheol's doing. It's likely how he adapted the original curse to force Hyungwon to maintain both forms which - now that we're on this topic - we need to fix."

"Why?" Taehyung asked, leaning forward. "I mean- it's fine, isn't it?"

"It's not," Hoseok said curtly, his lips thinning in a restrained frown. "Maintaining both forms is constantly draining a small amount of his energy, for one. He replenishes it easily, but it's a worm constantly nibbling away inside of him. Additionally, from what I observed in him and the others at  ** _nyayana_** , plus some research I did, it's likely painful for him. Hyungwon maintains his human consciousness no matter which form he's in, but suddenly he's being forced to send neurological signals to appendages he didn't previously have on this form. Psychologically, it's a lot to bear, but it's also likely physically painful for him, even if the pain has dulled. But the longer he's in this state, the harder and more confusing it will be for him to change back. It's simply unnatural, and it's taking a toll on him psychologically and physically."

"The collar," Hyunwoo said, resting his elbows on his knees. "If it's Seungcheol's magic, we can't just break it. None of us have the ability to remove curses. And have you considered what will happen to Hyungwon if we're able to break the curse? Will he still be under the original curse? Is that any better than how he is now?"

"If Hyungwon is in pain, then we don't have a choice," Changkyun said softly.

Hoseok nodded toward Changkyun in acknowledgement. "That was my thought. And I was able to heal his finger - his stomach still needs a bit more time - but his ear..."

"What exactly happened to his ear?" Kihyun asked, leaning closer with narrowed eyes before throwing his hands up defensively. "Look, if I'm stuck here, then I want to be in the loop," he justified, but nobody was fooled by the tough exterior he continued to present.

They all knew how he'd had the chance to leave them defenseless. With Jooheon obligated to bringing Taehyung back, they'd had no barrier to protect them while Hoseok had healed Hyungwon. And yet Kihyun had stayed, applying his nullification magic to ensure that no one would retaliate with a magical attack. It was thanks to him that they'd gotten out unscathed.

"I can't say for sure because I didn't want to press Hyungwon, but the injury  appears to mimic that of a burn wound," Hoseok explained slowly.

"You're saying that Seungcheol burned his ear?" Minhyuk asked, his eyes shadowed in fear. He'd been the most reluctant to join their coven due to his fear of Seungcheol, and while he'd come to sympathize with them, his fear hadn't diminished.

"It looks that way," Hoseok confirmed, nodding sadly. "But Seungcheol used a flame imbued with magic rather than a normal flame, which means that healing it would take a lot longer than a normal burn injury, only..."

"Only what?" Jooheon asked, frowning at Hoseok's hesitance.

"Well, the collar prevents magical interference. I'm not sure what the limits of that are - I was able to heal his stomach and his finger just fine, but because it's a magical injury rather than a normal one...I don't think I'll be able to heal it," Hoseok said. "Not until the collar is off. But he said that it isn't painful," Hoseok rushed on. "The nerves are dead, so he can't really feel anything."

"He talked to you?" Taehyung asked, biting his lip. "He didn't...say anything to me..." Was this Hyungwon's way of placing blame, of letting Taehyung know that he hadn't forgotten his betrayal?

"That's another thing," Hoseok said, sighing. For the ten minutes he'd spent in Hyungwon's room, he felt as though he'd aged a century. "Judging from how Seungcheol ran  ** _nyayana_** , I'd say that the head coven treated their humans like pets, training them to be obedient. I think Seungcheol had some sort of rule of silence for Hyungwon. He responds quickly to any commands you give him, but if you want him to respond, you have to tell him to do so. That was the only way I was able to get anything out of him, and even then, he only gave me short answers."

So maybe Hyungwon didn't hate him, after all. Taehyung could hope, right? He knew he didn't deserve anything but bitterness and vitriol, but his selfish heart wanted more.

"I think Seungcheol also capitalized on his abandonment issues," Hoseok continued. "He said something about being thrown away."

"We'll just have to overwhelm him with our care then," Jooheon said, nodding firmly to himself.

"It's not as simple as that," Changkyun spoke before pausing as though he hadn't wanted the words to leave his lips, but now that they were out in the open, he had no choice but to continue on. "We have to basically reprogram him. That's what Seungcheol accomplished, in effect. He twisted Hyungwon's mind, made him doubt what he thought was true. When I first found Hyungwon, I spent years trying to convince him of my sincerity, of his safety, of his worth. It will only be harder this time because he's been made to doubt everything that he knows."

"We'll see," Hyunwoo said before looking over at Changkyun. "I assume that you asked me to join your coven because you knew this would happen, and that you wanted me to use my ability to help cleanse Hyungwon's mind of Seungcheol's influence."

Changkyun didn't respond.

"But with the collar, I can do nothing," Hyunwoo continued. "There are other ways to break the collar than to try and find someone who can break curses, correct?"

"We could direct all of Hyungwon's stored-up magical energy into the collar in order to overload its capacity," Changkyun said dryly. "The only downfall is that doing so would destroy Hyungwon himself."

"So that's out," Jooheon remarked. "Anything else?"

The room was quiet.

Jooheon sighed. "We'll figure out something. For now, all we can do is keep him comfortable. Slowly force him into more interaction. Make sure he eats well and rests up. Try to get him to talk more. Introduce him to his old habits. Whatever we can do to get the old Hyungwon back."

They all nodded, but none of them voiced their thought. _What if the old Hyungwon isn't_ coming  _back?_


	36. Chapter 36

To say Hyungwon drifted throughout the apartment like a ghost would only be somewhat accurate.

It was true that he moved without purpose, his skeletal form hesitant as he silently crossed the room. But even ghosts have independence. Hyungwon spoke when told to, and he moved when asked, but if left without instruction, he hovered, waiting for his next command.

There was only one reaction Hyungwon performed without being commanded to do so. Whenever Changkyun entered a room or even simply when his name was mentioned, Hyungwon flinched, a noticeable tremor rolling throughout his body as all of his muscles contracted and his eyes squeezed shut. He clenched his jaw, exhaling several times in an effort to relax his body, and he slowly uncoiled, his muscles easing as his eyes opened.

For each action, there is, of course, an equal but opposite reaction.

When Hyungwon flinched, Changkyun's eyes became saturated with pain, his mouth opening to say something, anything, but his mouth closed, his gaze fell to the ground, and he abandoned the room to hide away somewhere out of Hyungwon's sight.

***

"Hyungwon?" Jooheon asked, popping his head into Hyungwon's room. The room was Hyungwon's default location; if he wasn't commanded to be anywhere, he could likely be found sitting on his bed, waiting. "Are you busy?"

Of course he wasn't.

"No."

"Great, can you come to the kitchen with me for some lunch? I made your favorite," Jooheon said, and Hyungwon obediently slid off his bed, passing through the doorway and proceeding on to the kitchen, where he hovered at the edge.

"Go on, have a seat," Jooheon instructed, his eyes watching in unspoken disappointment as Hyungwon sat down, his back to Jooheon, his tail limp as it spilled off the seat and wrapped around his right leg. "How are you feeling today, Hyungwon?" Jooheon asked as he put on a brave smile and stepped into the kitchen, fixing Hyungwon up a plate. He knew from the past week of experience that Hyungwon wouldn't eat unless told to do so, and if he wasn't provided with the food, he was apt to under-eat unless given specific instructions as to what and how much he was supposed to eat.

"Fine."

Jooheon opened his mouth to tell Hyungwon that he was officially banning the word  _fine_  because he'd gotten so sick of it as a cop-out excuse, but then he closed his mouth, turning back to the refrigerator sharply because he was afraid of Hyungwon taking him seriously and never using the word again for the rest of his life simply because he - Jooheon - had told him so. The power he had, the control he possessed -  _any_  of them possessed - over Hyungwon was terrifying and unwanted.

"Are you feeling better today?" he asked, setting a plate in front of Hyungwon. Since he'd been in charge of Hyungwon's caloric intake for the past week, he'd really been trying to give him balanced meals of protein along with fruits and vegetables. For lunch, he was serving leftover beef from last night's dinner along with apple slices and a small side salad. It wasn't Hyungwon's favorite, but Jooheon had found himself spewing more words to fill the empty space in their one-sided conversations.

"No." Hyungwon, prior to Seungcheol's involvement, had hated salads with a vengeance, and since he was only human for one day a month, Jooheon and Changkyun had basically let him eat whatever he wanted (which was never salad).

"Well...eat up," Jooheon said with what was either a wince or a smile, he couldn't tell anymore.

And so Hyungwon ate, salad and all. He finished all that was on the plate; Jooheon had no idea as to whether or not he was hungry, but he'd once told Hyungwon (jokingly) to lick his plate clean, and Hyungwon had finished the meal before holding the plate up to his face and beginning to kitty-lick the flat surface.

Jooheon had managed to break that behavior, but Hyungwon cleaned every plate Jooheon asked him to eat, and it made Jooheon feel guilty every time. He should have known not to joke around Hyungwon given the impressionable state he was in.

"Taehyung's coming over later to play," Jooheon said, trying to sound upbeat. It was getting harder, day by day. They'd thought the hardest part of the battle would be getting Hyungwon back, but getting Hyungwon back physically was proving to be the easier task to retrieving him mentally.

Maybe it was just Jooheon's sad state of mind trying to inject optimism into his sphere of perception, but it seemed as though Hyungwon's good ear perked up when he heard the name.

"Do you want to see him?" Jooheon asked. It was exhausting, coming up with question after question, but he knew that without them, Hyungwon would fall into a silent existence.

Hyungwon nodded, his ear twitching as his tail uncurled from around his leg and swayed in the air behind him.

"Do you...do you like Taehyung?" Jooheon asked carefully. He'd been too nervous to bring up what Taehyung had done to Hyungwon. He wasn't sure if Hyungwon remembered, and he didn't want to be the one to remind him.

Hyungwon bobbed his head forward again, a small smile hiding on his lips as he leaned his head into his left shoulder.

"Why do you like him?"

Hyungwon just shrugged, and Jooheon sighed in return, leaning his weight against the counter. He hadn't really expected a definitive response from Hyungwon, but it would have been nice to get an idea of what was going on inside his mind. But maybe he didn't need words to communicate with Hyungwon. Maybe all he had to do was show Hyungwon that he cared. Maybe that would be enough, for now.

***

Taehyung entered the apartment to find Hyungwon sprawled across the couch, Jooheon going over his tail carefully with a brush. Jooheon had been the one, on Taehyung's request, to cut holes in Hyungwon's pants, as they didn't know how long Hyungwon would be stuck like this and they all decided that his comfort was of the utmost priority.

He looked up as the door swung open. "Hey, Taehyung. Come on in."

Taehyung nodded, a tense smile on his face as he shut the door behind himself and entered the living room. He smiled as he saw how Hyungwon had nestled his face into the corner intersection of the cushions, his toes curling in pleasure as Jooheon continued brushing.

"There, I think that's good for now," Jooheon said, brushing off his knees as he stood up, and Hyungwon turned his face towards his, making a mewling sound in his throat. "No, I'll brush some more later, okay? I think we got most of the knots out. But Taehyung's here to play with you now, okay?"

Hyungwon sat up on the couch, gazing at Taehyung intently, and Jooheon turned to Taehyung, gesturing for him to speak.

"Uh, hi, Hyungwon," Taehyung said, smiling at his friend.

Hyungwon's newly-brushed tailed flicked through the air, and although he smiled, he didn't say anything.

"Well, I'm going to let you kids play for a bit," Jooheon said, giving Taehyung an admonitory glance before leaving the room. Although he was still bitter about Taehyung's past betrayal, there were few people - humans or witches alike - that he would trust more with Hyungwon.

***

Jooheon returned two hours later to find the TV tuned in to CSI Miami, although neither Hyungwon nor Taehyung paid it any attention. They'd pushed the table aside and were sprawled across the carpeted floor playing what looked to be a board game.

"You passed go, did you collect your $200?" Taehyung asked, looking extremely concerned, and Hyungwon opened his mouth in an o of surprise before putting his face in his palms. "You can't keep forgetting or you're going to go bankrupt! Go on, take your money."

Hyungwon looked up with a sheepish grin before snagging two hundreds from the bank.

"How's it going?" Jooheon asked, crouching down so he could scratch the gap between Hyungwon's ears. Hyungwon threw his head back farther, and Jooheon chuckled before continuing to pet him. "I heard you're going bankrupt?"

Hyungwon pouted and shook his head, holding up the two hundreds as proof of his financial stability. Jooheon just laughed and stuck around until the game had finished. He couldn't tell whether or not Taehyung had let Hyungwon win (or maybe Jooheon had acted as his good luck charm).

"Ah, sorry, I have to be getting home," Taehyung said as he packed away the board and pieces. Hyungwon helped him, methodically moving one piece at a time into its proper compartment, and although Taehyung could have likely done it faster by himself, he was patient, letting Hyungwon help. Finally, he packed the game up in his bag and walked over to the door, waving at Hyungwon. "I'll see you soon, Hyungwon, okay?"

Hyungwon nodded, and Jooheon went over to the door to help Taehyung out.

"Thanks for coming by," Jooheon said, a hand on the doorknob. "I know it's been hard for you to be around Hyungwon given the past, but he's been more alive today thanks to you. I don't know why, but he seemed a lot more like his old self. I think that your presence brings out the human in him."

Taehyung cast a doubtful glance back at Hyungwon, who was sitting and waiting for Jooheon to tell him what to do. "I just want him to be all right."

"We all do, but you're helping him get there, Taehyung. You really are." Jooheon paused, trying not to scare Taehyung off in a show of desperation. "You'll come by again, right? I know you're busy now that school has started back up and I know you have your own life and that you want no part of all this but-"

"I'll be back," Taehyung confirmed with a sad smile. They both knew that he'd never be able to get rid of the guilt, that it was simply part of his relationship with Hyungwon now, but they chose to ignore it for now at least. "As long as he needs help, I'll keep coming."

"Thank you," Jooheon said, nodding, and Taehyung nodded back before slipping out the door.

Jooheon sighed, shutting it after him before going back over to Hyungwon, pressing their foreheads together before rubbing their noses against each other in little eskimo kisses. "Kitty's a little tired, isn't he? Do you want a nap?"

Hyungwon nodded, bumping his forehead against Jooheon's, and Jooheon smiled, pulling back just enough to pick Hyungwon up underneath his arms, lifting him and securing him against his own frame as he carried Hyungwon over to his room. He did his best to ignore how light the boy was in his arms.

He knew the others - they stopped by often as well - were all preaching about how Hyungwon had to regain his independence, and maybe babying Hyungwon was more or less actively working against that, but Jooheon had always spoiled Hyungwon a bit, and he didn't plan on stopping now. He hoped that the smile on Hyungwon's face would never fade, that it wasn't just an anomaly for the day, that one day  _he'd_  be the cause of Hyungwon's smile instead of Taehyung. And he knew that while Hyungwon may have aged physically over the years, in his mind, he was still a scared little eleven-year-old boy.

He laid Hyungwon down before tucking him in, pulling the covers up to Hyungwon's chin before leaning down and touching their foreheads together again. "Night night, Wonnie."

"Night night," Hyungwon whispered back in his half-conscious form, unasked, and Jooheon felt his face fill with a warm glow.

Progress.

Or, as humans said, hope.


	37. Chapter 37

Hyungwon had started warming up to Jooheon again. He still seemed to live by the "rules" that continued to govern his behavior, but he was more affectionate and open to affection in turn.

He was letting Jooheon feed him apple slices (which of course Jooheon had carved into bunnies) when Changkyun appeared at the edge of the kitchen, having not realized that Hyungwon was eating.

"Oh, Changkyun-" Jooheon began, and the effect was immediate. The apple slipped out of Hyungwon's mouth as he curled in on himself, tail coiling around his leg.

Changkyun paled, moving back quickly and retreating to his room.

"No, wait, Ch- wait a second," Jooheon said, chasing after Changkyun with his eyes before hesitating once he saw Hyungwon. He sighed, quickly rounding the kitchen island to rub Hyungwon's back until he relaxed. "I'll be right back, okay?" Jooheon said, and Hyungwon bobbed his head, his right ear twitching, although his eyes were shadowed with worry.

Jooheon gave him one last pat on the back before going over to Changkyun's door and knocking.

"Go-"

"Hey," Jooheon said, opening the door and stepping inside before closing it behind him in case Hyungwon left the kitchen. "Changkyun-"

"He trained Hyungwon to hate me," Changkyun said, whirling around to face Jooheon angrily, his eyes wet. "He knew that the best way to hurt me was through Hyungwon. He never would have bothered with Hyungwon if it wasn't for me, Jooheon. Hyungwon-"

"-would still be on his own, alone in the world, if it hadn't been for you," Jooheon interrupted, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You can't bother with what-if's and regrets at this point, Changkyun. We can't go back in time. We can't change the past. Our only option is to figure out how to fix the future."

"We can't," Changkyun muttered, sitting down on the edge of his bed. He ran his rough fingertips over the silky covers before pulling his fingers inward in a fist and hitting it against the relenting fabric, the feeling of his blow being absorbed unsatisfactory in every regard. He hated feeling helpless, powerless. When Hyungwon had been out of his grasp, he'd been prepared to do anything to get him back. But now he had him, and there was nothing he could do.

"We can," Jooheon argued back. He knew that Changkyun's spirit had been worn down, but he wasn't ready to give up. Not on Hyungwon, not on Changkyun. "Look, if Seungcheol conditioned Hyungwon to hate you or be afraid of you, then we can just reverse the conditioning. Instead of hurting him - which is what I assume Seungcheol must have done - you nurture him. Feed him lunch, or brush out his tail, or-"

"I can't, don't you see that?" Changkyun interrupted. "For any of that to happen, I have to be near him, and when that happens, he flinches. He feels pain because of my presence."

"But Changkyun-"

"No." Changkyun shook his head. "I won't cause Hyungwon more pain."

"But it could work, Changkyun."

"Jooheon," Changkyun said sharply, looking up at his friend. "I will not experiment on my family at their own expense."

"So what, you're just going to avoid Hyungwon for the rest of his life?" Jooheon asked, chuckling, but the hope in his eyes had shattered.

"If that's what makes him happy."

***

That had been the plan. Avoid Hyungwon, and everything would be fine. But as Hyungwon began to regain some of himself, the plan began to fall apart.

"Are you feeling all right, Hyungwon?" Jooheon asked, brushing out Hyungwon's tail. All the knots were gone, and yet Hyungwon wasn't appreciating it as much as normal. "You usually like having your tail brushed. Is something wrong? You can tell me, Hyungwon."

"Why is he avoiding me?" Hyungwon mumbled, turning his face in towards the couch cushions.

"Who?" Jooheon asked, having an inkling as to who Hyungwon was talking about, but he was hoping that he was wrong.

"Chang-" Hyungwon tried to say, but a tremor took hold of his body, and he was unable to finish the word.

"He's just...busy," Jooheon said awkwardly, setting the brush down on the table. They'd never had the conversation, he and Changkyun, where they'd come up with an excuse for him. Jooheon didn't know what to say. The room was quiet before Jooheon realized that he hadn't provided a question, meaning that Hyungwon couldn't provide a response. "Is something the matter?"

"Does he hate me?" Hyungwon asked, his voice even weaker than before as he shifted closer to the cushions, almost as though he were intent on melting into the couch itself. "Am I a burden to him? Does he want to get rid of me?"

"No....no, no, no, no, no," Jooheon quickly rushed out, surprised by Hyungwon's words. "Wonnie, he cares about you a lot. He always has, and he still does."

"Then why is he ignoring me?!" Hyungwon cried out before stiffening abruptly as he realized he'd spoken out of turn. He continued burrowing into the couch, his body quivering in fear of punishment, and Jooheon sighed, rubbing his back reassuringly.

"It's okay to speak your thoughts, Wonnie," Jooheon said first and foremost. Hyungwon rarely spoke without being asked to, and he didn't want to discourage Hyungwon from doing so. But there was another issue he had yet to address. "And he doesn't want to avoid you or ignore you. He's just scared of hurting you."

Hyungwon pulled in his knees, curling up into a compact ball, his tail tucked in, and Jooheon sighed once more before pulling Hyungwon's bundled figure toward him and settling Hyungwon on his lap.

"Why are you even thinking about Ch- about him?" Jooheon asked, catching himself quickly while he ran a hand through Hyungwon's hair, rubbing at his good ear.

"Because I belonged to him, before," Hyungwon mumbled. "And S-Seungcheol...he told me all these things...that he didn't care, that he didn't want me, but now I'm here and I don't understand and it's all very confusing to me. If I don't belong to Ch- to him, and if Seungcheol got rid of me too, then who do I belong to?"

"Oh, Wonnie," Jooheon said with a sigh, nuzzling his forehead against the top of Hyungwon's head. "Why do you have to belong to anyone?"

Hyungwon turned just enough so that he could meet Jooheon's eyes with his own. "What- I don't- how else am I supposed to exist?"

Jooheon slipped two arms underneath Hyungwon and rotated him so he was lying stomach-up, cradled in Jooheon's arms. "Nobody has to own you," Jooheon said. He wasn't sure what had cultivated this seed of thought in Hyungwon's incomprehensible mind, but he needed to kill that sprout as quickly as possible before it took root. "Kyun has always done his best to take care of you. He doesn't own you. As for Seungcheol, he didn't take care of you, and you can just forget him. But Kyun just wants you to be safe. Outside, you aren't safe. But here, you are. But...but you don't  _belong_  to anyone. Nobody owns you. The only  _belong_  here is that you belong to our family because we care about you, Wonnie. But you aren't a possession, an object. Okay? Does that make sense?"

"But K-Kyun said..." Hyungwon paused, testing out the abbreviated name, and when he didn't sense a reaction, he exhaled in relief before continuing. "Kyun said the collar he gave me meant that I belonged to him,  that I'm his." Hyungwon's eyes flashed a moment in panic as his fingers climbed up his neck like diseased spiders, alighting on the cursed collar that currently trapped him. "That one is gone," Hyungwon recalled, anxiety sharpening the angles in his face. "This one is- this one is Seungcheol's, and I can't...I can't get it off, it won't come off-" Hyungwon began scratching at his neck, spiders becoming slender needles as they bit into the soft surface of his flesh, blood tipping their sharp edges.

"Hyungwon!" Jooheon snapped, using both of his hands to restrain Hyungwon's, and the task required all of his strength as he forced Hyungwon's bloodied hands away from his throat, holding them down by his stomach instead and leaving Hyungwon's head to rest of Jooheon's knee. "Hyungwon, you're hurting yourself...You can't do that, okay?" His voice shook. He hoped he looked more in control than he felt.

"B-But-" Hyungwon stuttered, the hysteria still present and growing in his eyes as he looked up at Jooheon, and the clarity Jooheon thought he'd seen there before had disappeared entirely. "If I can't get the collar off, then that means I'm still Seungcheol's, doesn't it? I'm- I'm his, because I was Changkyun's-" His body spasmed in a tight muscle contraction, but Hyungwon just gasped, fighting through it. "It won't come off, I want it off, I-" His fingers flexed, his overgrown nails, tipped with blood, now scratching at the air as tears began pooling from Hyungwon's eyes, which stared helplessly at the air in front of Jooheon. "I don't want to belong to him, I want to belong to Changk-" He cut off this time, the physical reaction in his body too strong for him to suppress or fight through.

Jooheon stared down at Hyungwon in horror. He was afraid to let go of Hyungwon's hands, scared they'd go back to his neck in an effort to claw the collar off, but by holding them down, he was powerless to help Hyungwon. He needed someone to-

"Hyungwon?" Taehyung asked, surprise evident in his voice as he stared at the scene unfolding before him.

"Thank God you're here," Jooheon mumbled.

"What's-"

"Not a good time," Jooheon said with an edge in his tone. "Questions later, help now."

Taehyung nodded, bangs flopping on his forehead as he dropped to his knees next to Hyungwon who, judging by his continued ranting and the faraway look in his eyes, was not aware of Taehyung's presence. "What can I do?" Taehyung asked breathlessly, his eyes darting to the blood on Hyungwon's hands before darting away and fixating on the blood on his neck. "Did he-"

"Yes. I need you to calm him down, okay? There's a spell I can try but I need my hands free for that. Can you hold his hands down?"

Taehyung nodded, placing his hands on Hyungwon's wrists and wincing as he felt his hand slipping on a viscous substance.

"I'm going to let go in three, two, one..."

Jooheon removed his hands, and Taehyung had to immediately apply more pressure as he felt how strongly Hyungwon was struggling.

"Good, hold them like that," Jooheon said with a nod as his hands began glowing blue.

"What are you going to do?" Taehyung asked, his brows furrowed. He wasn't really in a position to say no to anything Jooheon planned on doing, but he didn't intend on being kept in the dark about it.

"The only thing I can do," Jooheon said through gritted teeth as he tried to focus on his magic and answer the question at the same time. "Create a barrier."

Jooheon cast several symbols, his breathing growing uneven, before he cast a final symbol over Hyungwon. Abruptly, Hyungwon twitched and went still, going limp in Jooheon's lap while he leaned back again the table, his face discolored and sweat beading on his brow.

"Is he okay?" Taehyung asked, staring at Hyungwon in apprehension before gradually removing the pressure from his hands. When he realized that Hyungwon was no longer fighting back, he removed his hands, staring at Hyungwon with concerned eyes.

"He's fine," Jooheon mumbled, trying to catch his breath. While his magic was very often useful, he didn't have a large store of magic himself, which rendered his ability basically useless without a conduit. But he refused to use Hyungwon, not when he wasn't sure as to whether Hyungwon would willingly give his consent. "It's a mental barrier. It's like...putting his crazed mental state inside a box."

"So he's still struggling inside?" Taehyung asked, frowning down at Hyungwon, who gave no sign of conflict.

"At least he can't hurt himself like this," Jooheon defended. "I can't put him to sleep, Taehyung. That's Jeonghan's thing, not mine. And if I had him on speed dial, I'd invite him over myself. But one, I don't have him on speed dial and two, he's still probably our enemy. All we can do is contain Hyungwon while he's in this state, all right? So can you please run into the kitchen and gets some clean rags and a bowl of water? We need to clean him up a bit. Oh, and the nail clipper."

Taehyung nodded, returning with the requested items plus a few more. They worked in silence, Jooheon dipping the rags in water before ever so gently rubbing against Hyungwon's hands, washing the flakes of blood off. Then he moved to Hyungwon's neck, being even more careful of the shallow gashes in the skin as he rinsed off that blood as well. Once he finished, Taehyung swooped in, wrapping a layer of gauze around Hyungwon's neck to cover the open wounds so he couldn't make deeper incisions.

Then Jooheon took one of Hyungwon's hands in his and trimmed down the nails as short as they could go, moving on to Hyungwon's left hand once he finished the right.

They sat back to examine their work, making sure there was no blood left on Hyungwon, no wounds left untreated, and no nails left untrimmed.

Reassured, Jooheon leaned back against the couch, sighing deeply. "I'm sorry you had to see him like that. I imagine it was a bit disturbing."

"He's not okay," Taehyung said after a moment, joining Jooheon against the couch. "We knew he wasn't okay. But he hasn't..."

"No, he hasn't done that before," Jooheon conceded, nodding his head forward and letting it stay out of exhaustion. "It just comes back to the issue that we're all aware of."

"The collar."

"The collar," Jooheon agreed, bobbing his head once more. "What are we going to do about the collar."

It wasn't a question because they didn't have an answer.


	38. Chapter 38

"He did  _what?_ "

"He was scratching himself, cutting into the skin," Jooheon repeated to Changkyun, who paced the length of his bedroom several times, his strides growing quicker. "I created a mental barrier that'll wear off pretty soon. But yeah, he was scratching himself."

"But that's- that's impossible, Hyungwon was declawed years ago and his nails never grew back, how could he-"

"I don't know," Jooheon cut in. "I didn't notice it until now, honestly, it just...it looked normal, you know? For him to have fingernails? I didn't even think about it, and I've been making him eat all his meals with me every day. I just-" Jooheon paused to sigh out a breath. "I'm just sick of looking for the next screwed-up thing that we have to fix, you know? Not that- not that Hyungwon is just something to fix, but I mean-"

Changkyun waved a hand to dismiss Jooheon's rambling. "But how?"

"It may have something to do with the curse being altered. Probably when Seungcheol forced Hyungwon between two forms. That, or one of the head coven has some sort of healing attribute." Jooheon paused, a miscellaneous thought scratching at his brain. "Did you ever have Hoseok try to heal Hyungwon's fingers? Before, I mean."

Changkyun paused his pacing momentarily to shake his head before justifying himself and picking back up with his steps. "I talked to him about it at one point, but from what I described, he said it wouldn't work. He can only restore someone to the capacity of their current physical state. Hyungwon's current physical state, at that time, didn't include claws, or fingernails."

"Then maybe someone on the head coven has a time reversal magic," Jooheon said. "The ability to wind back time of a person or an object. In this case, Hyungwon's hands."

"Minghao or Jun might, I can't remember. But why even bother?"

Jooheon sighed, shaking his head. "Seungcheol's motive is always to get back at you, right? Just to show that he can? That he can easily alter a curse you spent hundreds of years attempting and failing to break? That with a snap of his fingers, he can restore what you could not?"

"Why does it even matter who did it or how it happened?" Changkyun snapped, Jooheon's words getting under his skin more than he would have liked to admit. "What matters to me is that he hurt himself." He slowed his steps to a stop, his back to Jooheon and his arms crossed behind his back, fingers interlocked. "I don't know if we can trust him alone anymore."

"I clipped his nails. And besides, it was an isolated event."

"We don't know that."

"He had a panic attack about his collar because he couldn't get it off and he was worried about what it meant," Jooheon argued. "Which, getting back to the main issue here, he's feeling neglected. By you."

Changkyun looked over, his face displaying an almost comical amount of shock. "Neglect?" His laugh was choked off in his throat before it could reach fruition. "I can't stand in the same room with him. I can't even be  _mentioned_  in his presence. I'm not a witch, I'm a ghost. A ghost of a ghost. If  _neglect_  implies abandonment, then haven't I been neglected too?" He stopped himself, clenching his jaw in frustration at his own words as he shook his head. "I'm sorry, I...I want to be there for him, but how can that be possible?"

"We're witches, Changkyun. We make magic happen."

***

"Hyungwon?" Changkyun whispered, keeping an ear turned toward the closed door. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," came the answer from the other side.

"Are you in pain?"

"No."

Changkyun sighed in relief, leaning his forehead against Hyungwon's door. This was the only idea he'd had so far, and he'd needed it to work. "Can you come closer? I just...wanted to talk for a bit."

There was a soft rustling as Hyungwon pushed the sheets aside, and then silence. Changkyun had forgotten how quietly Hyungwon moved, the feline instincts not forgotten.

"Are you there?" Changkyun asked.

"I'm here," Hyungwon responded, and a moment later, the end of his tail spilled out from underneath the door.

Changkyun smiled, automatically crouching down to run the back of his hand over the soft fur, but he backed away when he heard a bump on the door. "Hyungwon? Are you all right? What happened?"

"I- I wasn't expecting that, I knocked my head into the door," he mumbled. "Sorry. Can you...can you keep petting? I'm ready now."

Changkyun chuckled before sitting down beside the door, his back against the hard surface as he kept playing with Hyungwon's tail. "I'm sorry, Wonnie. I didn't mean to avoid you. But I didn't want you to feel hurt because of me." He paused, remembering Jooheon's list of things that he had to remember when interacting with Hyungwon. "Um, do you want to say anything?"

"Seungcheol said..."

"Seungcheol?" Changkyun asked quickly before forcing himself to relax. "I'm sorry, go on."

"He said that it was your fault," Hyungwon said quietly. "He said that he didn't want to hurt me but that he had to, because of you. But...he's the one who cursed me, isn't he? Who made me...not human anymore? And you're the one who saved me, aren't you?"

Changkyun sighed, gripping Hyungwon's tail more tightly before he realized what he was doing. He quickly lessened the pressure, stroking once more as he thought of the words he wanted to say. He felt as though no matter what he said, it would never be enough. Hyungwon gave him life, purpose, meaning, and all he could give in return were apologies.

"Seungcheol cursed you, a long time ago," Changkyun agreed. "And I...I found you, recognized what- who - you were, and I took you in. But I didn't save you, Hyungwon. Saving you would have meant stopping  ** _nyayana_** before it happened, before he ruined your life. I-" Changkyun's throat felt thick as he struggled to swallow back the guilt. "I had planned on stopping  ** _nyayana_** this year. I'd thought that this was the year I'd finally stop being a coward, that I'd do what I should have done back then and save the humans before their lives were taken or irreparably damaged. And...I failed. You were taken and I abandoned my mission, and when  ** _nyayana_  **actually happened, I sat by and watched all the humans suffer. Because I'm selfish, because my only thought was to get you back, even if every other human died. And they probably did. And I..." Changkyun felt his gut clench. "I don't care. I thought I would, but...I have you, and that's all that matters to me. Not the witches, not the human race."

Changkyun paused, dropping his hand from Hyungwon's tail. If Hyungwon hated him, that would be best for both of them. And he wasn't speaking anything but the truth. "I'm a horrible person, a horrible witch. And I'm sorry that he hurt you, sorry that he did it in my name, sorry that you got dragged into this because of me." He paused, swallowing, waiting for more confessions to bubble up, but he didn't feel any others scraping at his throat. "You can...you can say something."

"You never hit me," Hyungwon said. "Even now, you're sitting on the other side of a door because you're afraid of hurting me. I don't think that you're a bad witch, or a bad person. You've only ever been good to me. As for humans..." His pause was longer this time, more noticeable, and as he thought, his tail bumped into Changkyun's hand insistently until he resumed petting. "I'm not...I'm not human. I guess I used to be, but that's just not true anymore. And even if I wanted to be human, I don't think they would take me," he said with a small, sad laugh.

"What do you mean? Why would you even think that?"

"Well, just...when I was there, they would have all of us in the same room sometimes, and the other boys, they didn't like me. Probably because of...well...the ears. The tail. All that. I think they didn't trust me. I wasn't...one of them."

"They were probably just scared," Changkyun said, fumbling for any excuse. He didn't want to hear Hyungwon sounding hurt over not being accepted. The only acceptance Hyungwon needed, in Changkyun's opinion, was his own. But if Hyungwon cared about what humans thought of him, then Changkyun would console him. "They were taken from their families, and they saw that you were different. People are always looking for someone to blame, Hyungwon. It just happened to be you. It doesn't mean that you're any less human." He blew out a breath. "Hyungwon, do you want to say anything?"

"Of course I'm less human," Hyungwon choked out. "I'm half cat. I've been cursed. Twice, sort of. I'm...I don't even know how old. I had a family a long time ago but that's all gone. Just what part of me is human?"

"You're human to me," Changkyun said tersely before sighing. "And you have a family. Me, Jooheon. We're your family. What's so important about being human, anyway?" he mumbled. "I'm not human. Does that bother you, Hyungwon?"

"No," he answered back. "But it bothers me that I'm not, anymore. I don't know why. But...I just feel like I don't belong to any group. I'm not a human, and I'm not a witch. So what am I?"

"I told you," Changkyun said in a low voice. "You're my family. Isn't that enough?"

There was a pause. Then, "Yeah, I guess that is."

"Besides," Changkyun continued. "Even if the other humans don't accept you, Taehyung does. Is that why you like him?"

"I guess," Hyungwon said. "He makes me feel more human, more...normal. I like feeling normal. Forgetting that I'm not."

"You...you remember what he did to you, right?" Changkyun began, not wanting to bring it up, but he had to know where Hyungwon stood.

"Seungcheol told me that you were to blame for everything and that Taehyung betrayed me. But you're not bad. So I don't think Taehyung is either. Everyone is trying to confuse me. But I like you, and I like Taehyung. That's all I can think right now."

So maybe Hyungwon wasn't entirely clear on the matter, but Changkyun decided to stand by Hyungwon's answer. He liked Taehyung, so Taehyung would stay, even if he'd betrayed Hyungwon's trust and safety. If Hyungwon was happy, then Changkyun would try to support that. "All right. Is there anything else I can do to help you feel more at home here?"

There was a moment of silence during which Hyungwon's tail brushed against Changkyun's knee. "We could keep having these talks."

"Done," Changkyun said, a smile on his face, one that no one else would see. "Every night, okay?"

"Okay," Hyungwon said, and Changkyun could hear the smile in his voice. "This will all be okay eventually, right?"

Changkyun's smile melted off his face as he recalled what Jooheon had told him about Hyungwon scratching at his own neck. He wondered when he'd be breaking it to Hyungwon that they could no longer close the door to his room at night because Jooheon was scared of Hyungwon harming himself. He wondered when he'd be forced to tell Hyungwon that he didn't know if they'd ever be able to get the collar off. He wondered when he'd have to tell Hyungwon that he didn't know how they'd get out of this one.

"Changkyun?"


	39. END

"Guess who came to see you today?" Jooheon asked, a singsong lilt in his voice.

Hyungwon's head snapped up. "Kyun?"

Jooheon's smile faltered a bit before he fixed it. "No, Wonnie, you know he can't come see you. Hoseok is here. You remember Hoseok, right?"

Hyungwon nodded, but his good ear fell a bit as he looked down, disappointed.

Jooheon sucked in a breath before looking over at Hoseok and patting his back. "He's ready for you, Doc."

Hoseok patted Jooheon's shoulder. He'd gotten the call about Hyungwon clawing at himself, and he'd figured that it was a good excuse to drop by and check how his other injuries were healing. His physical ones, of course, but also the psychological wounds.

"Hey, Hyungwon," Hoseok said with a smile and a wave as he stepped through the door frame of Hyungwon's room. "How are you doing?"

Hyungwon just shrugged, looking away and letting his arm hang limply off the bed, his eyes downcast.

Hoseok just sighed and rounded the bed, sitting on the edge closest to Hyungwon. "Can I see your stomach wound?"

Hyungwon blew out a breath, causing his bangs to fly up for a second before settling back on his forehead as he drew his shirt up just far enough for Hoseok to see the scar.

He prodded it gently, looking up at Hyungwon's face to gauge his reaction. "Does that hurt?"

Hyungwon shook his head, indifferent.

"All right, can I see your hand?" Hoseok asked, holding his hand out, palm-up. As with before, Hyungwon placed his hand in Hoseok's, and Hoseok nodded as he inspected his work. The finger seemed to be fine; as Hoseok's eyes dipped lower, he saw Hyungwon's nails, blood encrusted just beneath them where Jooheon had been unable to clean. He'd seen Hyungwon's nails when he'd healed his finger, but he hadn't known to be surprised then. Blood or not, he was glad to see them given what Jooheon had told him about Hyungwon's previous condition.

"All right, that all looks good. Do you mind if I take a peek at your neck?" Hoseok asked, setting Hyungwon's hand down gently in his lap.

Hyungwon tensed, his shoulders shrinking inward as he tried to put distance between him and Hoseok. "Why?" he asked, frowning. "It's fine. I'm fine."

"But I can heal the scratches," Hoseok countered, his brow furrowed. He'd never had Hyungwon resist his help before. "You want that, don't you?"

"What scratches?" Hyungwon asked with a frown, his eyes dull with confusion.

"The..." Hoseok paused, looking over to the open door, but Jooheon was no longer there to confirm. He looked back to Hyungwon's neck, taking in the neatly-wrapped white gauze acting as a safeguard against Hyungwon himself. "Hyungwon, I promise I won't hurt you, but can I take a look at your neck?"

Hyungwon kept the guarded look in his eyes but he lifted his chin up, giving Hoseok silent permission, and Hoseok exhaled before leaning closer and undoing the gauze that Hyungwon seemed surprised to see come off. Hoseok sucked in a breath as he took in the scrapes and gashes marring the vulnerable skin both above and below the damned collar, some an angry red, others thin white lines where he'd barely scratched the surface. "Hyungwon, do you remember-" Hoseok cut himself off, remembering Jooheon's words.  _Don't upset him. Do what you have to do, but let him believe what he wants to believe. He's in his own world these days, and it's not a happy one._

Hoseok shook his head, lighting up his right hand with magic as he traced his finger around Hyungwon's throat, temporarily illuminating the harsh marks before they faded away into healthy flesh. "Just a precaution," Hoseok said, pulling back with a strained smile. "It looks like it was fine after all."

Hyungwon nodded, still confused and wary, but not aggressively so. Rather, he looked tired and malnourished.

"Why don't we go have some lunch with Jooheon now?" Hoseok suggested, and as expected, Hyungwon rose out of bed, following Hoseok into the kitchen, where Jooheon was waiting for them with a plate already made for Hyungwon.

He scanned Hyungwon's newly-healed neck before nodding at Hoseok in appreciation. Then he smiled at Hyungwon and began feeding him fruit.

***

"I thought you said he's been better lately," Hoseok said softly. He and Jooheon were standing by the door, not wanting Hyungwon with his feline senses to overhear their conversation.

"He  _has_  been," Jooheon defended before sighing. "He was doing really well in the beginning of the week, minus the whole scratching incident, which he doesn't seem to even remember. But he was talking more, and he seemed more energetic."

"What happened?" Hoseok asked, frowning as he cast a look back at the boy's bedroom. "He didn't seem much different from the day of his return. What happened to his progress?"

Jooheon sighed, rubbing harshly at his brow. "Changkyun happened. Or didn't happen." He blew out a breath, frustrated by the issue. "They started talking at night through the door, and for a day or two, Hyungwon was the best I've seen him. But he's lacking the physical attachment  part of the connection they once shared, and he's been getting more despondent each day. Taehyung came over yesterday and Hyungwon didn't even smile. It's like watching an animal in captivity, Hoseok. It's awful. He's losing his will to do anything."

Hoseok shook his head, feeling the heavy atmosphere of the apartment sinking into his bones. "I don't know what to tell you, Jooheon. I can stop by and heal whatever injuries Hyungwon sustains, or I can stop by and do check-ups on him, but I can only heal him physically."

"I know, I know," Jooheon muttered, running a hand through his hair and looking like he wanted nothing more than to claw his own eyes out. "And we're indebted to you, absolutely. But...we've come so far to bring him back, only to realize that maybe he's not  _coming_ back, I can't...I can't watch Hyungwon just wink out of existence."

Hoseok stared at Jooheon for a long moment before breathing out a long sigh. "Jooheon, I...never mind." He turned toward the door, placing a hand on the doorknob, but Jooheon put a hand on his shoulder, turning him back to face Jooheon.

"No, say it," Jooheon insisted, not liking the serious look in Hoseok's eyes but unable to let it drop.

"I just...look, Jooheon. I've spent a lot of time all over the world healing not just people but animals too, and...I know what an animal looks like when it's too tired to go on, when it's been cornered and doesn't want to fight its way out."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I know the look in the eyes of an animal that wants to die."

"Get out."

***

By the end of the week, Hyungwon wasn't leaving his room. Jooheon tried everything. He cooked Hyungwon's favorite meals (or, alternatively, offered Hyungwon purely sweets). He tried to use Taehyung to lure him out. He tried dragging Hyungwon out. All his efforts, however, were wasted because by Saturday, Hyungwon was curled up in a nest of blankets, his ears flat against his head (even his bad ear seemed to flatten) and his tail curled around him. He ignored Jooheon when the witch called his name. Even commands, which had always prompted Hyungwon into action, largely failed. If Hyungwon reacted at all, a rare occurrence in and of itself, he slunk out of bed, tail between his legs, and returned immediately once the task was completed.

Jooheon felt himself constantly frustrated to the point of nearly breaking down whenever he saw the sad remains of his dear friend.

"Wonnie," he whispered, smoothing his hand over Hyungwon's head from his seat on the end of Hyungwon's bed. "Wonnie, you can't keep doing this to yourself. You aren't eating, you're barely moving. I'm worried about you. Why are you acting like this?"

Hyungwon tucked his head further into his blankets. "The collar won't come off," he mumbled, and as he shifted his head, Jooheon saw new scratches painting Hyungwon's delicate neck. "And Kyun still won't come and see me."

"Is that why you're doing this?" Jooheon asked, something painful twisting in his stomach. "To make him worry to the point of seeing you?"

Hyungwon mumbled something indiscernible, burrowing further into the blankets.

"I'll...I'll talk to him," Jooheon mumbled, not even bothering to fake a smile because he knew that it was only for Hyungwon's benefit at this point, and Hyungwon wouldn't even be able to see it.

"I'll talk to him," Jooheon repeated, swallowing in disappointment as he slid off the bed, setting the plate of apple bunnies on the bedside table as he left the room. No matter what he did for Hyungwon, no matter how much time he spent with him, he was always asking for Changkyun. But that was fine. If it made Hyungwon happy.

***

"You need to do something," Jooheon said, arms crossed as he stared at Changkyun, who happened to be in a similar state of decline. Like Hyungwon, he was holed up in his bed, trying to forswear the outside world. "He's getting worse. It's bad. He just sits there, Changkyun. He's lonely."

"He has you, doesn't he?" Changkyun mumbled.

"Apparently-" Jooheon began with a pained smile, "-I'm not enough. He wants you."

Changkyun looked up, regret lining his face and heavy in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Jooheon. You know he cares about you a lot. He probably just-"

"-needs physical affection from the person he regards as his guardian," Jooheon interrupted. "He needs you. Not from behind a door. He needs you to be there with him."

"But it'll cause him pain, Jooheon, he-"

"Better a bit of pain then him losing all interest in life and fading into the bed sheets," Jooheon snapped before spinning around, rubbing at his brow. "Just- go see him."

Jooheon left the room and Changkyun's eyes followed him in apprehension before he slowly got up.

***

"Hyungwon."

Hyungwon's head shot up out of his burrow. "Changkyun-" He cut off, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to ward off a painful muscle contraction.

"Shhh," Changkyun soothed, rubbing Hyungwon's back and already regretting his decision to come in. He shifted uncomfortably on the bedspread. "Jooheon said you haven't been doing well."

Hyungwon forced an eye open, taking in Changkyun's figure, and even as his body clenched in pain, his ear perked up. "You're really here," he whispered, shrinking back after speaking out of turn, but Changkyun's smile was encouraging. "Did you come...to see me?"

"Who else?" Changkyun said with a laugh, but his smile faltered as he watched Hyungwon wince. "Hyungwon, I can leave if this is too painful-"

"Stay," Hyungwon said quickly, grabbing Changkyun's wrist. "Please, can you...can you stay?"

"I...I can stay," Changkyun said, the pain in Hyungwon's body mirrored in his eyes, and it only grew as he took in Hyungwon's neck. "I thought Hoseok healed your neck. Have you been scratching again?" He looked down at Hyungwon's nails to see that they'd grown out once more, quickly passing the ends of his fingertips. He made a note to have Jooheon trim them later.

"I just want the collar to come off," Hyungwon whispered, and whether it was out of fear of Seungcheol or pain, Changkyun couldn't tell. "I don't want to be reminded of him. I don't want to be his anymore. I want it off."

"Hyungwon," Changkyun sighed, and the bony hand on his wrist clenched in another wave of agony. It was all Changkyun could do to sit through it and looked even remotely unaffected. "I'm sorry, Hyungwon, but the only way we know of to get rid of the collar would mean destroying you along with it."

"Okay," Hyungwon said, coughing several times, and Changkyun looked away, pained, only when he looked back, Hyungwon's lips were coated in a thin layer of blood.

"Hyungwon," he said, tensing in alarm and shifting his weight backward, but Hyungwon's hand tightened on his, forcing him to stay put.

"Destroying me would destroy the collar?" Hyungwon repeated, and Changkyun stared at him, lost.

"Yes," Changkyun said after a moment, not strong enough to lie to him. "It would, but didn't you hear me? You would-"

"I'd disappear," Hyungwon said, and the weak light from the bedside lamp reflected off the warmth in his eyes and the blood on his lips.

"You'd disappear," Changkyun repeated, and if the light were facing him, it would catch the wetness in his eyes, holding none of Hyungwon's warmth but all of Changkyun's sadness. "I can't let that happen."

"Jooheon said-" Hyungwon paused, his body convulsing harshly, and he drew his body in even tighter, trying to restrain the painful tremors. "He said I didn't belong to anyone. So what gives you the right to make that decision?"

"The right-" Changkyun began, his frustration painfully clear in his eyes. He wanted to grab Hyungwon by the shoulders and shake him, shake some sense into his painfully frail figure. "What gives me the right? How about taking care of you for hundreds of years, watching over you, keeping you safe, watching you grow up? You're my family, Hyungwon. How am I supposed to watch you disappear?"

"I've watched  _you_ disappear, Changkyun," Hyungwon protested, his ear twitching as he squeezed his eyes shut and took several deep exhalations, pressing his head into Changkyun's thigh in an attempt to ignore the pain of being so close to him, of using his name and seeing him and touching him because it was  _worth_  it to Hyungwon. "You bring me back here and hide from me, always out of sight. Sometimes you talk to me but I can't see you. I can't even say your name without-" He paused, whimpering softly as the pain continued to crescendo. "Changkyun, Changkyun, Changkyun, Changkyun-"

"What are you doing?! Stop!" Changkyun yelled, panic forcing him to put a hand over Hyungwon's mouth in an effort to spare him, but his hand slipped off Hyungwon's lips, leaving a trail of red in its wake.

"What kind of existence is this?!" Hyungwon yelled back, tears streaming from his eyes as he gave up on trying to ignore the pain. He removed his head from Changkyun's thigh, instead resting his head face-down on the bed sheets as he opened his mouth and screamed into the linen, trusting it to muffle his torment.

"That's it, I'm leaving," Changkyun said, terrified of the suffering he was to bear witness to, knowing that it could easily be avoided if he simply wasn't there, but upon standing up, a hand struck out to grasp his, squeezing hard.

"Please," Hyungwon gasped, looking up, his face a horrible sight of tears and blood, both multiplying by the second. "Please, don't leave me-"

"You're going to kill yourself!" Changkyun snapped, pulling against Hyungwon's hand in an attempt to leave, but Hyungwon refused to let go.

"If I can't simply sit next to you and say your name, then I don't want to live any longer," Hyungwon confessed weakly, although the strength in his grip remained, keeping Changkyun by his side. "I'm done. If I belong to anyone, it's you, but even that's been ruined now," he said, choking slightly on something in his throat, either excess saliva or blood. "There's only one other option, and I'd rather go with that one instead."

"Anything," Changkyun mumbled. "Anything but you killing yourself for me. I don't want that, Hyungwon. Anything else."

"You kill me instead."

And Changkyun looked at the dying light in his dearest friend's eyes, a light that told him the sad end that would come to Hyungwon if Changkyun refused him, a gradual spiral of ripping himself apart an inch at a time no matter how many times his nails had to regrow.

Changkyun didn't want to see Hyungwon tearing himself apart. He didn't want to see Hyungwon suffering any longer, didn't want to have to listen to him cry at night from the wrong side of a door, didn't want the distance between them to become an impossible chasm that grew and grew until they forgot each others' faces from lack of interaction and forgot each others' names for lack of utterance.

And so Changkyun said okay.


	40. EPILOGUE

Changkyun hadn't used his magic in several hundred years. Unsurprisingly, death magic wasn't very popular, or often applicable. It was all great and well when Changkyun had scores of enemies he wanted never to resurface, but when there wasn't anyone in particular he wanted dead for good, his magic wasn't very useful at all. And when he'd taken in a stray cat one day and had decided rather quickly to keep him forever, his magic had become entirely useless.

Changkyun had stopped using his magic in an effort to fade out of witch society. He wanted to leave his dark reputation behind, to live in peace so Hyungwon could live in peace.

But everything had gone wrong, wrong enough to balance out the hundreds of good years they'd had. Everyone falls eventually.

And so eventually had come, sooner than Changkyun would have liked but later than he probably deserved.

Hyungwon's words about Changkyun saving him were funny to Changkyun because he'd always thought that it was the other way around, with Hyungwon saving him. He'd been gifted - or as many said, cursed - with the touch of death. Attachments - physical, emotional - had always been impossible for him because of his magic. Nobody had wanted to get close to him knowing the power he had to end them, utterly and completely. And yet Hyungwon had stayed. The trust he placed in Changkyun led him to believe that maybe Hyungwon was his chance at acceptance, at salvation.

Another joke, as it was his touch of death that would come to claim his salvation.

***

Changkyun emerged from Hyungwon's room some time after eventually. His hands were clean, and that felt wrong to him. He wanted blood, he wanted gore, he wanted evidence of the life he'd just cleaved. But his hands were clean.

"Is everything all right?" Jooheon asked, emerging from Changkyun's bedroom, where'd he'd been waiting for hours. "You were in there a long time."

"The collar is gone," Changkyun said. He remembered distantly that one could input emotion into their voice to better convey their meaning, but he couldn't find any emotion to input. Maybe he'd killed that, too. "And Hyungwon is dead."

Jooheon stared at Changkyun. Didn't say anything, just stared. And that was worse.

"I'm going to-"

"Why?" Jooheon asked abruptly. The emotion was gone from Jooheon's voice as well, but Changkyun could hear the restraint he was exercising. "We talked about this, and we decided that it wasn't even an option-"

"It ended up being the only option."

Jooheon's face pinched as anger burst within him. "And who decided that?"

"Hyungwon did."

"Are you so damn selfish that you think his life is worthless just because you can't be the center of it?" Jooheon snapped. "There are so many other people around him. Witches who risked their lives for him - Hoseok, Hyunwoo, Minhyuk, Kihyun. And what about Taehyung?" Jooheon paused, his eyes wet and beginning to puff up due to his anger. "What about  ** _me_**?!"

"Hyungwon asked me to do it," Changkyun said. He didn't know what his face looked like. He wasn't sure which muscles he was controlling, if he was crying or smiling or frowning or what. "He asked me to."

"If I asked you to kill me, would you kill me too?" Jooheon asked, his fists clenching at his sides. He didn't want Changkyun to kill him, he just wanted to point out Changkyun's idiocy.

"No," Changkyun answered truthfully.

"And why not?"

"Because you're not my fault."

"Hyungwon was more than just a mistake, more than just a curse," Jooheon said. He was trying to hold onto his anger, but it was slipping away fast. He hadn't even seen the body - he didn't know if there'd be one at all - but he didn't doubt the truth of Changkyun's words. "Who am I..." Tears slid down his face as he thought of Hyungwon's tail going limp against the ground. "Who am I going to make lunch for now?"

Changkyun stayed quiet in his gluttony for guilt. He thought of the apple bunnies still sitting in Hyungwon's room that would forever go uneaten. "Witches...we weren't meant to mingle with humans," he said eventually. Words he'd heard many times, words he'd fought against for Hyungwon's sake. He'd resisted the ideology only for it to swallow him whole. "Even cursed ones," he added bitterly.

"You can't tell me you believe that bullshit too now," Jooheon argued, missing a breath when Changkyun didn't reply. "What, you're the new Seungcheol? Death to all humans and all that?"

"No, I don't wish them death," Changkyun corrected, staring at the ground. Lost. He felt lost. Hyungwon had been his anchor for centuries. Even getting Hyungwon back had been another goal, another anchor to tether him to a life he'd enjoyed living, for a brief while. Immortality was long when lived in unhappiness. "I just wish to never deal with them again. Of all the creatures in the world, I now know humans to be the most painful."

"But what of the joy he gave you?" Jooheon asked softly. He could not veil his rage, but he knew that Changkyun was suffering too.

"The joy has been engulfed by absolute sorrow," Changkyun said, his eyes dead, as Hyungwon's had been for the past week. "No, I don't think that I'd like to deal with humans again." His empty eyes traced the walls before falling back on Jooheon. "His soul is in transition. The body will disappear soon. If you believe in saying goodbye, you should do it quickly."

And then, like a flame winking out of existence, Changkyun disappeared, teleporting somewhere where he could be alone to let out the shadows prowling in his heart, somewhere they couldn't hurt anyone else but himself.

***

Jooheon wept.

He cradled Hyungwon in his arms, crying without restraint, and the teardrops journeyed from his eyes and down his chin, plunging to spatter across Hyungwon's cold body. His ears were still, his tail limp as Jooheon had imagined, but Jooheon ran his hand over it anyway, crying harder when his fingers ran into a knot. Hyungwon hadn't let him brush his tail the past week, and now here he was, dead, his body a tortured shell, his tail full of knots. Moments later, the brush was in Jooheon's hand, and he gently moved it along the length of Hyungwon's tail, stopping when he came to a new knot and working it out of Hyungwon's fur. Even when the fur was smooth, he continued brushing, his muscles moving on memory alone because his brain couldn't take the wheel. His eyes squeezed shut in an effort to stem the tears, but it was a futile task.

He decided at some point that he wanted to cry, wanted the decades and centuries he'd known Hyungwon to mean something physical, even as the tears fell and vanished as they rolled off Hyungwon's unyielding skin and were absorbed by the blood-stained linen sheets.

It was the blood that caught his eye, and his eyes unwillingly jumped up to Hyungwon's face as he took in the blood dashed across his lips as well as the thin stream that had spilled out from his nose before drying a rusty red-brown. He knew that it hadn't been Changkyun's doing; Changkyun's magic granted a swift, painless death. Jooheon didn't know quite how it worked, but he knew that Changkyun would not have made Hyungwon suffer but instead ease all of his suffering.

Jooheon sniffed, his tears gradually slowing as he set down the brush and began cleaning up Hyungwon. He wanted it to look as though Hyungwon were sleeping while he waited for Jooheon to prepare his afternoon snack. He started by propping him up against the pillows lining the headboard before sifting his fingers through Hyungwon's hair, straightening his bangs out evenly across his forehead. Then he used the tear-stained linen to wipe off the blood from Hyungwon's face. He sat back to take in his handiwork, and his stomach dropped when his mind tried to convince him that Hyungwon was fine, that he was just sleeping. But Jooheon knew about the blood underneath his nails. No matter how hard Jooheon tried to fix things on the surface, there would always be shadows about Hyungwon that he couldn't dispel, blood he couldn't wash off, death that he couldn't deny.

Once again, Jooheon's eyes begged for further torment as they slid ever so slowly to the left, where Jooheon saw the empty plate waiting for him on the bedside table. He slid off the bed, moving closer, and he stared down at the plate, at the vague reflection that stared back at him.

Hyungwon had eaten his last meal, one Jooheon had prepared for him. Hyungwon hadn't waited to say goodbye, but this was a goodbye in and of itself, wasn't it? A reluctant goodbye? A final thank you? But what did it mean to Hyungwon?

In the end, was it just that he was hungry in his final hours?

Jooheon took the plate in his right hand, the cold from the ceramic leaking into his skin. He'd clean the plate like he'd cleaned up Hyungwon, only Hyungwon would disappear. The plate wouldn't.

Jooheon turned back to look over Hyungwon. Maybe it was because he was standing up now, or maybe it was because of the way he'd propped Hyungwon up, or maybe it was just because Hyungwon was dead, but he looked so small on the bed. Like the pain he'd endured had formed the majority of his muscle mass, and now that he was at peace, it had all left him, skin and fur and bones.

Jooheon reached over with his free hand, flinching back for a moment before continuing forth and placing his hand on Hyungwon's head, ruffling his hair for the last time. "Good boy," he whispered, his voice choked up. "You were a good boy."

He pulled back, his eyes hesitating on Hyungwon's bare neck, no longer oppressed by the vile collar.

_The collar is gone, and Hyungwon is dead._

Not  _The collar is gone,_ _but_ _Hyungwon is dead._

Because there'd been no possibility of one without the other. But Jooheon despised the phrasing, as it seemed to claim that the collar and Hyungwon's life were of the same level of importance. Jooheon just didn't see how that could be true.

Jooheon left the room, taking the plate with him and leaving Hyungwon behind.

***

Changkyun had always been a man of mystery, but now he was a man of secrets as well.

He held secrets of the past, like how he'd once been something of a friend to Seungcheol, but how that had all changed once he'd looked into the scared eyes of a street cat and the thought that perhaps humans weren't so bad after all first crossed his mind.

Secrets of the present, like how he'd seen the apples on Hyungwon's bedside table and had taken it upon himself to eat them, knowing what it might mean to Jooheon if he saw them there, waiting.

Of the future, like the one he was about to create.

"What's going on?" Hoseok asked, stirring restlessly on the couch and receiving an elbow from Kihyun, who sat atop the armrest. Minhyuk was squished in the middle of the couch, Hoseok on his right and Hyunwoo on his left. Taehyung was seated in front of the couch, a frown already etched on his face. Changkyun stood before them. Jooheon was in the kitchen, scrubbing and scrubbing at a ceramic plate.

Hyungwon's chair was empty.

"Is Hyungwon better?" Hoseok asked, and Minhyuk perked up at the mention of the partial human.

"No, he's dead," Changkyun said flatly.

Taehyung was the only one to react. "Changkyun, I get that you're a super old witch, but that's not how humor works."

"His magical signature is gone," Hyunwoo spoke softly.

"Seungcheol," Taehyung said, his eyes widening as his small form tensed. "He took Hyungwon, right? We need to go fight him and end this for good-"

"There is no more fighting, and no one left to fight," Changkyun said, his eyes twin moons, impossibly heavy in his face, spinning on their own gravity. He'd found that his head could still function - he could speak, maybe even conduct logical reasoning - without having to use the emotions residing within his rib cage.

Changkyun had heard a story once about the rib cage being exactly that, a cage for the heart, to keep it safe, locked away where it couldn't be hurt. He was starting to think that it worked the other way as well, that it could restrain his heart from leaping out of his chest but also function as a cage to keep others from breaking in. He wished in hindsight that he'd heard that before he'd met Hyungwon. A cage to keep Hyungwon out. Maybe in time, it would be a cage to trap his memories in, to hold the thought of him close so it could never escape his mind and memory. But he wasn't ready for that, not yet.

"What do you mean?" Taehyung asked. This whole time, from day one when he'd been convinced that having an allergy to cats would be the lowest low he'd encounter, he'd always felt a step behind. Always the one to ask questions, always the one left wondering, left confused. He'd had the feeling that everybody else knew things before him, and they just stood by, waiting for him to understand as well. "There's always someone to fight. Seungcheol, or the head coven, or-"

"Hyungwon asked me to kill him, so I did," Changkyun said. "I suppose that makes me the one to fight."

Taehyung stared at him. The idea that this wasn't a joke was just starting to scratch at his skin, clawing away a layer at a time. "That's impossible, you'd never hurt Hyungwon."

"It was the only way to stop hurting him," Changkyun replied quietly. Not calmly. Calm was intentional. Changkyun had abandoned his emotions for the time being. He was running on empty. He was in control of nothing. He knew what'd he done. He accepted it as truth. Whether he accepted it as the right course of action, whether he accepted it as an honorable death given as an act of mercy, whether he believed that he'd done what a true friend would do...that had yet to be determined. Another thing he'd abandoned in order to keep himself functioning in the present. He was a robot, ripping out nonessential wires here and there. All he had to do was keep moving. He'd find the wires later, maybe, maybe he'd even figure out how to plug them back in. But for now, he just had to keep moving forward.

Taehyung stood up, already swinging a fist at Changkyun's face, a fist Changkyun had no intention of dodging but also knew to be no real threat, but before Taehyung could land the blow, a blue plane appeared in front of Changkyun. Taehyung's fist glanced off the plane, and his second and third punches did as well.

"Please," Jooheon muttered, stepping into the room. His right hand was immersed in a familiar blue light, and his left hand was tightly clutching a ceramic plate. "No more blood. Not for today. I've washed away enough as it is."

"You knew about this?" Taehyung asked, whirling to glare at Jooheon. "That Changkyun murdered Hyungwon?"

But Jooheon ignored his words, already heading back into the kitchen, mumbling something about washing the blood off as he shoved the spotless plate back under the sink and resumed scrubbing.

"I don't care if you agree with what I did," Changkyun said, staring at Taehyung. He thought that, in another time, he could sympathize with Taehyung's indignation, his anger, his repressed grief. Another time. Not today. "That's not what you're here for."

"Then what?" Taehyung asked. His voice held anger, but his face gave away the shielded emotion just beneath that, one of disbelief quickly changing into devastation. "To say goodbye to his body?"

"There is no body," Changkyun countered. "It disappeared when his soul started the voyage."

Taehyung made a choked sound. "Then what am I here for? What is left?"

"Hyungwon valued you," Changkyun said. He struggled to find words he didn't have emotions to back. "He trusted you, despite having reason not to. He enjoyed his time with you. He said you made him feel normal, accepted. Human." Changkyun paused. "Thank you. For doing what I could not." Strange words on his tongue.

Taehyung didn't respond, just knelt on the ground with wet eyes, the result of crushing news piled on too quickly for him to escape the rubble.

Changkyun took the chance to nod at Hyunwoo, who gave a solemn nod back before his hands glowed a soft orange, and he touched two fingers to Taehyung's shoulder.

"What are you-" Taehyung began before noticing the orange light. He tensed, panicking. "What are you doing?! Are you using magic on me? You can't-"

He went still abruptly, his eyes open but the irises disappearing.

"I'm in his mind now," Hyunwoo said softly. "How much do you want me to remove?"

"All of it," Changkyun said. "From the first day he set foot in my apartment. He never met Hyungwon."

"And you're sure?"

"I'm done with humans," Changkyun said, looking down at Taehyung. When he looked at him, he felt the sparks of emotions he wasn't ready to face. Even now, outrage, bitterness, betrayal. There were some things that Changkyun would likely never be able to forgive. He knew that their times of peace had to come to an end at some point, but it had been Taehyung's arrival that had brought about the  _eventually_  Changkyun had been running from. And yet, despite all that, he felt that Taehyung should be spared from the weight of knowing a friend's death. "It's for the best if he's done with us as well."

Hyunwoo nodded before closing his eyes, and with several motions of his fingers, Hyungwon ceased to exist for the second time.  
  
  


**\- 5 months later -**

Taehyung sighed, leaning back on his couch and staring at the ceiling. He felt like framing it, he stared at it often enough. He'd been feeling off for the past few months. Jungkook had claimed that it had something to do with Taehyung's nonexistent sex life, to which Taehyung had protested but not properly denied. Truth was, he didn't know why he felt so out of place in his own body. He just felt like he was missing something, and for one reason or another, he always turned to his ceiling for direction.

Jungkook had also thrown out the idea about maybe seeing a psychologist. But Taehyung wasn't sure he wanted to. Something about the idea of someone poking around in his brain just rubbed him the wrong way.

He shivered, rubbing at his arms. That was another thing; he'd been warm-blooded all his life, but just recently, he'd started feeling cold at random. As he rolled off the couch, he made a mental note to himself to buy more long-sleeved shirts if the trend continued.

He saw the problem when he got to the kitchen. The window was open, letting in a cool breeze. So maybe he wasn't crazy, just forgetful. He went to pull the window shut when he noticed a small creature cuddled up on the sloped roof of the downstairs apartment. He noticed how the cat trembled in the cold air, pulling its tail in even tighter to form a compact ball of heat.

Although Taehyung knew how he got around cats - he'd had an allergy all his life, but it had seemed to have disappeared lately, and he now felt the strange urge to stop at the pet shop and coo over the kittens - he couldn't help but feel bad for the poor thing, especially since he himself was feeling the chill.

"Hey, kitty," Taehyung called, not quite sure how to get the cat's attention. He'd never had one of his own before. Jungkook had tried to convince him that he'd cat sit for someone before, but as with 90% of what came out of Jungkook's mouth, it was total garbage that Taehyung didn't even bother with.

Surprisingly, the cat looked up, one of its ears twitching in his direction.

Taehyung couldn't help but melt a little as he took in the cat's dark eyes. "C'mere, kitty," Taehyung said, holding up his fingers and a thumb and rubbing them together the way he'd seen others do. He clicked his tongue twice, trying to figure out how to entice a stray cat to jump the six foot gap between the roof below and his kitchen window, which was a fairly difficult-

He stumbled forward, lunging just in time to get his arms around the cat's midsection, as the cat had been about to fall back down and possibly roll off the roof and plummet to his untimely death. "I got you, I got you, don't worry," Taehyung murmured, more worried about the small heart attack he'd just received than the cat, who looked rather smug, as though he'd known Taehyung would catch him just in time. Not that Taehyung knew for sure that the cat was male (and he certainly wasn't comfortable with checking), but he had a feeling. "Don't scare me like that," Taehyung said, huffing out a breath as he pulled the cat into his arms, cradling it. He wasn't sure if he was holding it the right way, but the cat seemed comfortable enough (or at the very least, hadn't attempted to claw his eyes out), and he liked the way the fur felt against his arms, warming them up just enough to balance out the chill Taehyung had felt earlier.

"Aw, poor guy," Taehyung mumbled, frowning as he saw that one of the cat's ears looked to be injured. "Did somebody hurt you?" He clucked his tongue, already feeling protective of a random cat he'd just so happened to invite in. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I'll take good care of you."

He paused, the words spilling out of his mouth. Upon first seeing the cat, the thought of taking him in had never crossed his mind, but the idea didn't sound so crazy now that it was out in the open, spontaneously prompted or not. Maybe it would just be nice to have someone else to warm up the apartment a little bit.

"Now, what to name you, kitty?"

***

"Hyungwon," Changkyun said with a sigh, observing the interaction with a small smile on his face. Jooheon exhaled, his eyes full of restrained longing as well as genuine happiness that had been missing for some time.

"I'm happy that he's doing well," Hoseok agreed. "Although I never did get the chance to heal that ear."

"I'm sure he's fine," Minhyuk replied before nudging Hoseok gently. "You did a good job, healing him."

"I think it'll be good for Taehyung too," Hyunwoo said in his usual soft manner. "The magic I used has had several odd effects. Can't really avoid that when you work with the human mind, but still. Maybe this will balance it out."

"Well, finally," Kihyun said, crossing his arms. "I thought his soul would never arrive."

Changkyun had come to some sort of peace over the past few months while he'd been waiting for Hyungwon's soul to finish the journey from his human body to his feline body. Once he'd sensed that Hyungwon was back in the world, he'd wanted to find him immediately and bring him back home, but he stopped himself from doing so. He knew that if he continued to meddle in the human world, he'd only cause more trouble for everyone.

It was better this way, for him, for Taehyung, for Hyungwon. He and the others could still watch from afar to make sure that Taehyung was treating Hyungwon well (although he truly believed he had nothing to worry about with Taehyung). And maybe, just maybe, if Hyungwon was still around in a hundred years or so (or whenever Taehyung left the world of his own natural accord), maybe Changkyun would find Hyungwon again, just as he'd done several hundred years ago, and restore their family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! Please check out my profile for other works.

**Author's Note:**

> Please support my search for happiness: ko-fi.com/nobodyimportant


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